The relentless spread of tuberculosis in Zambia - trends over the past 37 years (1964-2000)

Mwaba, P., Maboshe, M., Chintu, C., Squire, Bertie ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7173-9038, Nyirenda, S., Sunkutu, R. and Zumla, A. (2003) 'The relentless spread of tuberculosis in Zambia - trends over the past 37 years (1964-2000)'. Samj South African Medical Journal, Vol 93, Issue 2, pp. 149-152.

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Abstract

Objective. To review trends in the rates of tuberculosis (TB) case notifications over a 37-year period. Design. A retrospective study of Ministry of Health records on TB notifications between I January 1964 and 31 December 2000. Setting. Zambia, sub-Saharan Africa. Methods. Retrospective analysis of case-notification data for TB of the Zambia Ministry of Health annual returns. Outcome measures. Annual TB case-notification rates and trends over the past 37 years. Results. TB case-notification data from 1964 to 2000 show a 12-fold increase over the past two decades, and apparent gains in controlling TB seen in the 1960s and 1970s have been reversed over the past two decades. A stable situation during the period 1964-1984 (case-notification rate remained around 100 per 100 000 population) was followed by an exponential increase since the mid-1980s. The absolute number of new TB cases increased from 8 246 in 1985 (124/100 000) to 38 863 (409/100 000) in 1996 and 52 000 (512/100 000) in 2000. Comparison of case-notification rates over the past 2 decades with neighbouring countries (Zimbabwe, Malawi and Tanzania) show that Zambia has one of the highest case-notification rates in the region. Conclusions. Zambia, like many countries in Africa, is in the midst of a serious TB epidemic and there are no signs that it is abating. This increase was most likely due to the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and subsequent breakdown of TB services. Concerted donor-government efforts should invest appropriately in long-term plans for TB control.

Item Type:	Article
Subjects:	WA Public Health > Health Problems of Special Population Groups > WA 395 Health in developing countries WF Respiratory System > Tuberculosis > WF 205 Epidemiology
Depositing User:	Martin Chapman
Date Deposited:	23 May 2013 14:32
Last Modified:	25 Nov 2024 08:14
URI:	https://archive.lstmed.ac.uk/id/eprint/2626

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