The number of notified tuberculosis cases per 100 inhabitants in Portugal decreased in 2021, a reduction that has been consistent in recent years (5,1% less per year between 2017 and 2021), announced the Directorate-General for Health (DGS) .
However, there was an increase in cases in some regions, particularly in the North. The North and Lisbon and Tagus Valley regions continue to have the highest incidences, according to data from the 2022 Tuberculosis Surveillance and Monitoring Report in Portugal, which is published today by the National Tuberculosis Program of the Directorate-General for Health (DGS).
Men continue to be more affected than women (66,4% of the 1513 cases reported in 2021), especially in adulthood. In 2021, 2,8% of all cases occurred in children and adolescents under the age of 15.
The DGS stresses that «the immigrant population remains the most vulnerable population, with a notification rate 3,8 times higher than the national average (55,8 per 100 thousand in 2021) although there has been a reduction in the proportion of cases compared to 2020".
Identifying the most vulnerable, namely those who are at increased risk of exposure or who may have difficulty accessing healthcare, is a priority for intervention. According to the DGS, "its prioritization will accelerate the reduction in the incidence of the disease and focus on preventive treatment, avoiding future new cases".
Considering the impact of interventions on susceptible groups, the DGS opened tenders for financial support to community organizations, promoting screening and support in the administration of medication in vulnerable groups, in geographic areas of higher incidence.
Reducing the time until diagnosis, which has been increasing, is another priority, guarantees the DGS. «The delay in days was, in two thirds of the cases, associated with the late search for health care, showing its maximum value in homeless people, which reinforces the need to facilitate access to health care in most vulnerable and the importance of support from social and community structures".
There was a slight decrease in the delay of diagnosis by health care. «The greater clinical suspicion of the disease by health professionals, as well as the role of different laboratory tools, may have contributed to the decrease», explains the DGS.
«Portugal’s commitment to international goals must be translated into action centered on the patient, on the community, protecting the most vulnerable, facilitating access to health care and guaranteeing the possibility of preventive treatment», underlines the Directorate-General for Health.
The commitment to research and innovative technology, pharmaceuticals and the production of a new vaccine are key points in the global strategic plan until 2030, concludes the DGS.
Comments