A neglected ailment that persists globally.
Highlights:
- Tuberculosis remains a significant public health concern globally, with an estimated 10.6 million cases worldwide in 2021, and the trend is on the rise.
- Migration is considered one of the main contributors to the disease’s rapid and widespread dissemination worldwide, as it affects marginalized groups who suffer from poverty, overcrowding, and other conditions.
- Tuberculosis is curable, but the mortality rate can be around 50% without treatment, according to the WHO Global Tuberculosis Report.
- More significant investment in tuberculosis programs, accessibility to the BCG vaccine against tuberculosis, and a strategy for contact tracing are needed to mitigate the crisis, especially among migrants.
- Public institutions must prioritize tuberculosis among the population, just as they did with COVID-19.
It is believed that tuberculosis first appeared nine thousand years ago in Atlit Yam. This Neolithic village is now submerged in the Mediterranean Sea. It was not until 1882 that Dr. Robert Koch described the mycobacterium, known as the “Koch’s bacillus,” which affects different organs, especially the lungs. However, just because it is such an old disease does not mean it is a thing of the past. The reality is that it is still a condition that exists today, albeit a forgotten one.
Globally, two billion people have the bacillus.
Héctor Javier Sánchez
According to the latest World Health Organization (WHO) Global Tuberculosis Report, there were an estimated 10.6 million cases of tuberculosis worldwide in 2021, a 4.5% increase from 2020. The trend is on the rise. According to Dr. Héctor Javier Sánchez, a public health researcher and tuberculosis specialist, globally, two billion people have the bacillus. Although this does not necessarily mean they have the disease, they can progress from a latent phase to an active phase. “In Mexico, we have 32,000 cases of tuberculosis per year, 2.5 times above the WHO recommendation, and about four thousand people die from it,” says Dr. Sánchez.
In Mexico, we have 32,000 cases of tuberculosis per year.
Héctor Javier Sánchez
This disease affects the most marginalized groups, such as those who suffer from other conditions, such as HIV and diabetes mellitus, and those who live in poverty and overcrowding. These last two are characteristics of people who move from one country to another for better living conditions. Therefore, migration, such as between Mexico and the United States or between Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Mexico, is considered one of the main contributors to this disease’s rapid and widespread dissemination worldwide. During this journey, where they migrate under unfavorable socio-economic and security circumstances, they encounter precarious conditions, little access to health services, and discrimination. “Poverty and migration strongly influence the appearance of new cases and the development of the active phase,” explains Dr. Sánchez. On many occasions, they are housed in galleries with 100 or 200 people without any protective measures, considering this disease is transmitted through the air.
Poverty and migration strongly influence the appearance of new cases and the development of the active phase.
Héctor Javier Sánchez
Although tuberculosis remains a significant public health concern in our country, not all public institutions have access to the necessary resources to combat it. However, these institutions are precisely responsible for identifying and treating most patients. “We must prioritize tuberculosis among the population, just as we emphasized COVID-19,” asserts Dr. Sánchez.
We must prioritize tuberculosis among the population, just as we emphasized COVID-19.
Héctor Javier Sánchez
Tuberculosis is not far behind; it is resurging. The government and society must show interest in this disease, since few organizations dedicate themselves to caring for these patients and focus on mitigating the crisis, especially among migrants. There must be more significant investment in tuberculosis programs, improving the speed with which we diagnose the disease. Likewise, patients’ treatment must be adequate, supervised, and accompanied. Healthcare professionals must follow up with patients to ensure they do not abandon treatment due to adverse reactions. Tuberculosis is curable, but the mortality rate can be around 50% without treatment, according to the WHO Global Tuberculosis Report.
Additionally, there must be greater accessibility to the BCG vaccine against tuberculosis. Finally, there must be a strategy for contact tracing since “it is not generally done, and for each index case, we should be looking for at least six other cases. “Tuberculosis “is a problem for everyone,” concludes Dr. Sánchez.
