Tuberculosis Control (Laos)
Laos still has a high burden of Tuberculosis (TB) and is one of the countries in South East Asia with the highest prevalence, with an incidence of 182 per 100,000, and a death rate of 53 per 100,000.
The TC TB Active Case Finding project is based on the National TB Strategic Plan 2017 – 2020 for Laos, which ascribe to a vision of Laos free of tuberculosis, disease and suffering due to tuberculosis and zero death and to reach the targets of End TB Strategy.
The objective of the project is to raise awareness about TB in the target villages, to find people with symptoms, and refer them to be tested in the nearby Health Centers. People in Laos diagnosed with TB get free medicine. The HPP TB Team follow the patients and secure that they and their family have knowledge about the illness, know the importance of adhering to the treatment, and of eating a nutritious diet in order to improve their immune system.
In the first half of 2019 the Team has made awareness campaigns in 16 villages, screened 11,445 people and referred 383 people to examinations whereby 30 people were detected with TB.