Number of Recorded TB Cases in Liberia Increases
The number of recorded tuberculosis cases in Liberia increased from 3,000 in 2007 to 5,000 in the second half of 2008, according to the National Office on Tuberculosis and Leprosy, IRIN News reports. According to Ernest Choplopy, deputy manager of monitoring at the office, staff members still are collecting data on TB prevalence and the final number of TB cases for 2008 could be higher.
Dedeh Barr Kesselly, deputy program manager at the TB office, said the increase in TB cases likely can be attributed to a lack of awareness about how the disease spreads, poor sanitation, overcrowded living conditions, inadequate nutrition and weak health infrastructure. In addition, the TB control program does not have basic equipment or adequate transportation and staff to reach rural residents, she said. Fatorma Bolley of the World Health Organization said that although the country has enough TB drugs to treat existing TB patients through 2010, many patients, especially those living in rural areas, do not have access to treatment.
The Liberian government operates 98 TB treatment centers that are supported by the Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and provide no-cost TB consultations or medications. Kesselly said that the government is building an additional 14 clinics but that more will be needed. She added that the national TB office should "proactively seek out prevention strategies and look for funding sources beyond the Global Fund," adding that the office needs to "work harder, train up more staff and create more diagnostic services" to meet the United Nations Millennium Development Goals' target of reversing the spread of TB by 2015 (IRIN News, 2/4).
