The ManicaPost
Tendai Gukutikwa
Post Reporter
Although Zimbabwe was recently removed from the list of top 30 high burden countries for Tuberculosis, the country is still grappling with close to 14 000 missed TB cases annually, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has revealed.
As the country joined the rest of the world in celebrating World Tuberculosis Day last week on March 24, WHO, in a statement, said the country still struggles with a disproportionate burden of TB-HIV and drug-resistant TB.
The day ran under the theme ‘Yes we can end TB’.WHO and the Union Zimbabwe Trust (UZT), an organisation that deals with TB in the country, called on Government, communities, civil society organisations, health-care providers, national and international partners to unite in ensuring a fair national response.
WHO also revealed that in Zimbabwe, 16 300 TB cases were recorded in 2021, from an estimated 30 000 incident cases, thereby translating to a treatment coverage of 54 percent.
“While the country has made remarkable progress to curtail the burden of the disease, and is now removed from the list of the top 30 high burden countries for TB on account of sustained investments to strengthen the National TB Control Programme and a successful anti-retroviral programme, the country still grapples with close to 14 000 missed cases annually, and a disproportionate burden of TB-HIV and drug-resistant TB.
“In addition, over 80 percent of TB patients in the country experience substantial high out of pocket costs when accessing services, which is an important barrier to life saving treatment,” said WHO.
The statement also stated that finding TB in children remains subtle in Zimbabwe, with notifications in 2021 accounting for five percent of total notifications, against an annual global achievement of 10-12 percent.
“The situation has been compounded by the disruptive impact of Covid-19 in recent years, albeit with signs of recovery as noted in 2021,” reads the statement.
To consolidate the gains and address the lingering gaps, WHO continues to invest towards TB related matters.
As such, investments towards ending TB remains a priority, said WHO’s representative in the country, Professor Jean-Marie Dangou.
He said that ending TB is possible.
“There, however, is need for Government and its partners to commit more financial
resources to address the current funding gaps and deliver quality TB services for everyone in need, particularly the most vulnerable,” said Professor Dangou.
On the same issue, The Union Zimbabwe Trust’s executive director, Dr Ronald Thulani Ncube said: “The shared aspirations between WHO, the Government of Zimbabwe and UZT to end TB is a real possibility, if only we harness our collective resolve to do more with less, targeting the finite resources more intelligently, to innovations with potential for the greatest impact.”
