Government determined to close on missed cases of TB

Government has reiterated its determination to close the gap on the missed cases of TB, which currently stands at about 10,000.

Health Minister Sylvia Masebo says government is also keen to raise the desired awareness about tuberculosis in Zambia.

Speaking when she officiated at the commemoration of the world TB day, which was commemorated under the theme, ‘invest to end TB. save lives’, Ms. Masebo has explained that in the last two decades, the country has seen a 58 percent reduction in the burden of TB cases recorded from the year 2000 to 2022.

Ms. Masebo added that the country has also improved and sustained a high TB treatment success rate for both drug susceptible TB and drug resistant TB patients which is currently at 90 and 78 percent respectively.

She says these successes are indicative of high quality service provision with regard to TB both in the health facilities and the community,’’ she noted.

Meanwhile the health minister has thanked various stakeholders in the health sector for working with the government to eradicate TB in Zambia.