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Doha, 9 June 2013: The elimination of tuberculosis (TB) by 2050 worldwide was the subject of a recent Academic Health System (AHS) Lecture held at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC).
This is the third lecture in a series bringing the latest medical research to Qatar to improve patient care, highlighting the latest innovations for health professionals, a central focus for the Academic Health System. The lecture was delivered by Qatar-based infectious diseases expert Dr.Laith Abu-Raddad, Associate Professor of Public Health and Director of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Biomathematics Research Core, Infectious Disease Epidemiology Group at Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar (WCMC-Q). Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar is one of the eight members of the Academic Health System.
“Probably no infection has killed more people than TB over human history. It is a communicable disease with a long and complex history and has affected humankind for thousands of years. To eliminate TB, we need to address every aspect of the infection pathway with interventions to provide the highest impact in terms of TB control,” said Dr Abu-Raddad.
A deadly but preventable and curable disease, TB is caused by the bacteria mycobacterium tuberculosis and most commonly affects the lungs.The symptoms of active TB on the lungs are coughing, discharging saliva mixed with mucus or blood, chest pains, weight loss, fever and night sweats. TB can also affect other body parts including kidneys, spine or brain.
Recent international research collaborations have focused on addressing active TB as well as latent infection. Dr. Abu-Raddad said WCMC-Q collaborated with the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in the US, the University of Washington and the World Health Organization (WHO) to conduct research on the impact of new approaches for TB interventions such as developing new vaccines, faster diagnosis rates, novel treatment regimens, and mass vaccination campaigns in endemic countries. This research acknowledges reaching the goal of TB elimination by 2050 will require simultaneous and multiple interventions to move from cure and control to TB elimination.
Worldwide figures reveal that in 2011, 8.7 million people fell ill and 1.4 million died from TB, according to the WHO. In 2012 in Qatar, there were 511 new TB cases, according to Dr. Abdullatif Al Khal, Head of the HMC Infectious Diseases Unit and National Tuberculosis Program Manager. Dr. Al Khal clarified that the increase in TB cases is primarily due to the influx of people from outside Qatar. “Most of the people who develop active TB here are likely to have been infected back in their home countries.”
Over the last ten years there has been a decrease of TB cases in the Qatari population, from 48 cases in 2003 to 14 cases last year. This decrease is due to the national screening program and implementation of preventative therapy for patients directly affected and people exposed to TB.
“We make sure patients who have TB, or those being given preventive therapy, undergo the directly observed treatment short-course. Patients are monitored closely and need to swallow pills in the presence of nurses to ensure the whole course of treatment is completed. This is an essential part of the national TB control program,” Dr Al Khal explained.
To ensure all TB patients diagnosed in Qatar are able to benefit from access to high-quality and patient-centered treatment, HMC is developing an integrated Infectious Diseases Hospital at Hamad bin Khalifa Medical City, which will include the National TB Program.
For more information, please contact:
Corporate Communications Department
Hamad Medical Corporation
