New national strategy progresses the fight against tuberculosis

Posted on: 16 May 2024

Tuberculosis is a preventable and curable disease. It is caused by a bacterium (germ) called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. TB usually affects the lungs but it can also affect other parts of the body, including the glands, the bones and rarely the brain.

TB remains a significant public health issue both globally and in Ireland. Although there has been a significant decline in the burden of TB in Ireland in recent decades, there were still 226 cases notified in 2023, equating to an incidence rate of 4.4 per 100,000 population. As a low-incidence country (<10 cases per 100,000), Ireland should be aiming to achieve the WHO End TB Strategy target of an 80% reduction in TB cases between 2015 and 2030. The COVID-19 Pandemic has adversely impacted on TB control both globally and in Ireland and a concerted effort is required to get us back on target.

By developing this strategy, the National TB Advisory Committee are urging health and care professionals to unite around this shared vision for the future. Trinity’s Professor Joe Keane and Professor Anne-Marie McLaughlin are both members of the Committee and gave valuable input to the strategy.

Professor Joseph Keane, Professor of medicine at Trinity’s School of Medicine and St James’s Hospital, said:

“Recent years have seen an increase in Irish tuberculosis cases. We are seeing a spike in multiple drug resistant tuberculosis in migrants and seven cases of prison associated disease. Tuberculosis spreads easily in congregate settings. So, we welcome this new strategy, which will help us to respond to these new challenges.”

Anne Marie McLaughlin, Associate Professor, Trinity’s School of Medicine, and St James’s Hospital, said:

“Although there has been a significant decline in the burden of TB in Ireland, there were 226 cases notified in 2023, equating to an incidence of 4.4 per 100,000. As a low incidence country Ireland should be aiming to eliminate TB by 2030. This strategy sets out the vision and challenges to eliminate TB. The elimination of TB is made more challenging in the environment of vulnerable groups and underserved populations, where there is increasing incidence of TB.”

Speaking about the strategy, Dr Éamonn O’Moore, National Director for Health Protection, HSE said:

“This new National Strategy is a key step along the road to achieve our ambition of achieving the WHO End TB Strategic objectives by 2030- significantly reducing new cases of TB and eliminating the health and wider social costs TB can bring to individuals and wider society. We put addressing health inequalities at the heart of the Strategy recognising that with infectious diseases, No One is Safe Until Everyone is Safe.”

Key Priorities for the strategy

• To address the social determinants of TB
• To improve the prevention of TB.
• To improve the detection of people with TB
• To improve care for people with TB
• To strengthen the multidisciplinary TB workforce

To view or download a copy of Striving to End Tuberculosis – A Strategy for Ireland 2024 - 2030, you can visit the following link: https://www.hpsc.ie/a-z/vaccinepreventable/tuberculosistb/

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