The Diagnosis and Treatment to Eliminate Tuberculosis (ACT5) Project has been implemented in Ca Mau since April 2022, screening for TB at households and focusing on hamlet and residential areas. From December 2022 to April 2023, the ACT5 Project began implementing the phase of universal diagnosis and treatment of latent TB combined with proactive detection of TB cases in the community in 17 hamlets/residential areas in Ca Mau City. Through screening, 15,000 people were given drugs to treat latent TB.
ACT5 project screens people for tuberculosis in Cai Nuoc district.
Ms. Luu Boi Khang, Manager of the Active TB Screening Program in Ca Mau, said: “Through screening, it shows that the rate of latent TB in Ca Mau people is about 40%, the risk of active TB in the future is very high. Therefore, participating in TB screening in the community is very important, helping to detect TB early for timely treatment to help prevent the source of infection in the community.”
Currently, the ACT5 Project is implementing the evaluation phase, which has been screened in 26 hamlets of Cai Nuoc district. Project members will approach each household, collect information through a questionnaire, and invite them to the hamlet headquarters for screening. The subjects are people aged 15 and over, including those without symptoms of tuberculosis. Mr. Pham Van Thang, Tan Phu hamlet, Tan Hung Dong commune, Cai Nuoc district, shared: “I find screening at the hamlet very convenient, to know if I have the disease or not. If I find out I have tuberculosis, I will go for treatment to protect my health, and if I do not have the disease, I can rest assured.”
Through screening 20,000 people, the Project has detected nearly 100 cases of tuberculosis. According to statistics, there are some hamlets with tuberculosis rates of 900-1,000/100,000 people, which is an alarming situation. However, currently, screening for tuberculosis in the community still faces many difficulties such as: People do not cooperate, do not comply with treatment regimens... If tuberculosis cases are not detected early, the risk of tuberculosis spreading in the community is very high and difficult to control.
In the last months of 2025, the ACT5 Project will continue to actively screen for TB in Ca Mau City, Dam Doi District and Thoi Binh District. The project will select people aged 15 and over to find active TB cases and screen children aged 7-17 to find latent TB cases. At the same time, it will combine screening for non-communicable diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes. Ms. Luu Boi Khanh, Manager of the Active TB Screening Program in Ca Mau, added: “We conducted TB screening in Cai Nuoc District and found that the number of TB cases in the community was quite high, and were referred to the Ca Mau Provincial Tuberculosis and Lung Hospital for confirmation testing and inclusion in the treatment program. Screening measures such as chest X-ray, sputum testing and XPERT testing will detect TB cases in the community, thereby helping to protect people's health”.
TB tests are completely free and patient information is kept confidential according to regulations. People need to cooperate with the Project to be screened, detected early and treated promptly, contributing to protecting health and controlling TB in the community.
Minh Khang
Source: https://baocamau.vn/sang-loc-lao-chu-dong-ngan-chan-nguon-lay-a39496.html
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