It is estimated that there are around 13,000 Tuberculosis (TB) patients in Sri Lanka. However, only around 8,511 have been detected and undergo treatment. Out of this number, 8,113 are newly identified cases.
This was revealed by the chest specialists who delivered lectures during the health seminar at the Health Promotion Bureau in Colombo, yesterday.
According to them, one in every three Sri Lankans has the TB bacteria in their body. A total of 24 percent of TB patients are TB and HIV dual infection cases.
The highest number of TB patients are detected from the Western Province which is 30,601. The percentage is 42 out of the total number. A total of 2,051 TB patients are reported from the Colombo district, they said.
According to 2016 annual statistics, 8,886 cases of all forms of TB and 648 deaths were notified to the National Programme for TB and Chest Diseases. A total of 65 people in Sri Lanka in every 100,000 have been infected with the TB bacteria, they added.
Add new comment