The Dominican Republic and Haiti have succeeded, by means of several joint programs of prevention and control, to reduce the incidence of tuberculosis by 45 to 60 for each 100,000 inhabitants. The announcement was made during a meeting between the health authorities of both nations, who also presented the results of the 2016-2018 plan as well as a proposal for the 2019-2021 plan, with the aim of eradicating the disease by 2030.
According to Dominican Health Minister Dr. Rafael Sánchez Cárdenas they had achieved the reduction in the incidence of the disease, specifically by targeting those high-risk groups but more needed to be done to improve the health services especially those of primary care. Tuberculosis is a highly contagious disease brought on by a bacteria that causes the death of around 4,500 people daily across the world.
According to the WHO, some 1.6 million people have died of the disease this past year. The most vulnerable groups in the Dominican Republic are Haitian immigrants, those in jail, those in extreme poverty and those with HIV/AIDS.
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Hoy
30 October 2018
