Nepal has completed the first ever nationally representative tuberculosis (TB) survey to understand the actual disease burden (data on how many are suffering from the disease) in the general population.
TB is contagious and airborne – one of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases. Every day in Nepal, around 15 people lose their lives to TB, and over 180 people fall ill with this preventable and curable disease.
The National Tuberculosis Prevalence Survey (TBPS) 2018-19, jointly carried out by the National TB programme, Government of Nepal; with support from World Health Organization (WHO); and other partners; also measured the disease burden, health-care seeking behavior, and service utilization among participants. The report, launched on World Tuberculosis Day, brings Nepal one step closer to meet the WHO End TB Strategy.
The survey showed around 117,000 people are living in Nepal with TB. Likewise, 69,000 people developed TB in 2018. The TB incidence (new cases) was found to be higher (1.6 times) than previously thought.
However, the survey also suggests significant impact of efforts on TB epidemiology (evidence-based policy making and prevention) in Nepal, that had led to an estimated annual reduction of new TB cases (by 3% in the last decade), and this decline is better than the global annual decline rate (1.5%-2%).
The disease was also seen more in men, and older population; and more in hills and Terai as compared mountain and Kathmandu Valley.
It is also estimated that every NPR 112 invested to end TB, returns NPR 4816, plus the multiple benefits of a healthy functioning society.
"Everyone has a right to health. Every single person suffering from TB must be able to get quality care, everywhere in the country. These data tell us we must do more to find more TB cases and treat them properly”, states Dr. Lungten Wangchuk, Team Lead for Communicable Diseases at WHO, Country Office for Nepal.
Data also revealed that from the estimated 69, 000 people who fell ill with TB in 2018, only 32,474 cases were reported. Around 54% of cases were missed to be diagnosed and treated.
Additionally, drug resistant TB continues to pose a dangerous health threat to our populations, and only 1 in 3 of the people who need treatment have access to it.
With all this new crucial data, the Government of Nepal can plan for the next National TB Strategic Plan (2021-26) with detailed costing alongside fast adoption of latest WHO recommendations.
Nepal has begun initiatives on actively finding missing cases and treatment; expansion of diagnosis (such as GeneXpert); better treatment regimen particularly for Drug resistant-TB; and private sector engagement initiatives.
“Ending TB is not only a moral imperative, it makes economic sense”, states Dr. Jos Vandelaer, WHO Representative to Nepal, “It’s time to end TB.”