More Tuberculosis Cases Reported in Tanzania

The number of TB cases in Tanzania has been on the rise over the last two decades, according to the country's Deputy Minister for Health Hussein Mwinyi. Official figures show that the number of TB cases in Tanzania has increased from 1,753 in 1983 to 61,602 in 2001. Attributing the increase to poverty, malnutrition, population growth and the spread of HIV/AIDS, Mwinyi said the government has taken measures to curb the spread of TB. In addition to expanding treatment services, increasing TB public awareness campaigns and distributing enough drugs to treat the disease, the government will also increase prevention campaigns for HIV/AIDS, which is closely linked to the spread of TB in Tanzania. About 1.6 million new cases of TB are reported in Africa every year, of which 41.4 percent are in sub-Saharan Africa.

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