Posted On: 2023-03-24 10:07:50
On 24th March 1882, Dr Robert Koch astonished the world when he announced that he had discovered the cause of tuberculosis. In 1882, tuberculosis was an unstoppable force, being the cause of death for one out of every seven people. So, Robert Koch’s discovery became a beacon of hope for everyone suffering from the gruesome illness.
According to World Tuberculosis Report 2022, 10.6 million people were diagnosed with tuberculosis in 2021. Out of which, 1.6 million people met their demise because of tuberculosis.
Every Year, 24th March is marked as World Tuberculosis Day to combat the spread of tuberculosis and raise awareness about the disease, in honour of Robert Koch’s discovery.
So, to honour Robert Koch let’s jump into 5 five facts you should know about tuberculosis.
A person with a low immune system is more likely to develop tuberculosis. It is one of the major reasons why people with HIV, have more of a chance to be diagnosed with tuberculosis. In fact, the risk of an HIV-positive patient contracting tuberculosis is 26 to 31 times higher than a normal individual.
Organisms are becoming resistant to isoniazid and rifampin, the two most common drugs for tuberculosis patients, which is causing a new kind of tuberculosis called ‘Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis’. This resistance happens when a patient doesn’t complete the treatment or because of being misdiagnosed by the doctor. So, it is always important to take the medications on time.
The disruption of healthcare services during the COVID-19 pandemic has disturbed the years of progress made against tuberculosis. Approximately, 1.5 million people died because of tuberculosis in 2020, which was a jump from 1.4 million deaths in 2019. The trend continues, as 2021 reported 1.6 million deaths.
Now let’s jump into something positive. The treatment for tuberculosis has proven to be highly effective. Around 90% of cases of tuberculosis and 48% of drug-resistant tuberculosis have been cured because of tuberculosis treatment. Normally, a treatment lasts six months and is a mixture of four antibiotics: Isoniazid, Rifampicin, Pyrazinamide, and Ethambutol. The patient cans start feeling better after two weeks of treatment.
BCG Vaccine, also known as the tuberculosis vaccine, has known to be 70-80% effective against some severe forms of tuberculosis like TB meningitis. It is preferable to get the vaccine at birth, so as to prevent them from being infected. In India, once a baby turns 28 days old, they are eligible for the BCG vaccine.
With this, we have come to an end. Hopefully, you have learnt something new about tuberculosis and its spread. Please share the link to this article with your friends to spread awareness about tuberculosis. Thank you for taking the time to read this blog.
AUTHOR: ADIL SAYYAD
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