VANCOUVER, B.C. – World TB Day is March 24 and the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) would like to remind British Columbians that despite recent progress in combating tuberculosis (TB), the disease remains a major global health issue, with nearly 9 million new cases and more than a million and a half deaths each year.
"For a majority of British Columbians the risk of contracting TB is very low,” explains Provincial Health Officer Dr. Perry Kendall. “However, in BC, vulnerable populations from Aboriginal communities to street populations are disproportionately affected, as are immigrants from countries with high TB rates. Public health must find innovative ways to stop TB – not just in our province, but globally.”
TB is often seen as an ancient disease but according to the World Health Organization (WHO) about 40 million people will become ill and at least eight million will die of TB unnecessarily between now and 2015.
“Thankfully TB is a preventable and treatable condition, highlighting the global injustice of the suffering and deaths attributed to this disease,” says Dr. Kevin Elwood, Director of Tuberculosis Control at the BCCDC, an agency of the Provincial Health Services Authority. “The key is early diagnosis and treatment, and of course access to appropriate medication, which is not a simple issue in some parts of the world. Many developing countries have only very basic diagnostic tools. It is a challenge as well to ensure that those affected with TB in our own province, particularly street populations given their transient nature, are identified and provided timely treatment.”
This year’s campaign, Transforming the Fight Towards Elimination challenges us to look at the fight against TB in an entirely new way: that every step we take should be a step towards TB elimination.
BCCDC and UBC have teamed up for the second year in a row to co-host an informative symposium at UBC’s Health Sciences Centre on March 24th. The event will feature talks from five local TB experts and a keynote address by Pam Chedore, Head of the Mycobacteriology/TB lab at the Ontario Agency for Health Protection & Promotion.
TB is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and can be spread from person to person through coughing or sneezing. While it is not as contagious as many other diseases, such as influenza or chicken pox, daily exposure or close contact with an individual with TB can result in transmission. Symptoms often include persistent cough, weight loss, fatigue, fever, night sweats or shortness of breath. While the lungs are the most common site of the disease, it can affect virtually any part of the body and, if not treated, can be fatal.
BCCDC’s Division of Tuberculosis Control serves as British Columbia's referral centre for the prevention, control, and treatment of tuberculosis infection and disease. The Division manages and coordinates programs designed to ensure a progressive reduction in the annual incidence of active tuberculosis, and operates ambulatory clinics in Vancouver, New Westminster, Victoria, and a Street Outreach Program in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver. Other areas of BC are served by the Division's field operations in collaboration with other health partners.
For more information about TB, you can call HealthLink BC at 8-1-1, contact a family physician, or access these web links:
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Media Contact:
Ritinder Harry
BCCDC Communications
604-707-2412
