World Tuberculosis Day: EsSalud presents map for case monitoring and care

This March 24 is World Tuberculosis Day. Despite being a preventable infectious disease, tuberculosis has recorded more deaths than COVID-19 and HIV over the years. For this reason, EsSalud presented on Wednesday the “Heat Map of Tuberculosis” for the detection, follow-up and care of cases of this disease nationwide.

HEAT MAP

The map was developed by the Social Security Intelligence and Data Analysis Unit and seeks to strengthen the tuberculosis intervention strategy. With this technological tool, it is possible to identify the places with the highest number of tuberculosis infections, which will allow timely monitoring and treatment of people suffering from the disease.

EsSalud spokesman Dante Cersso highlighted that, with the use of this tool, by the institution's staff, better medical monitoring of tuberculosis cases will be achieved.

TUBERCULOSIS FACTS

Globally, nearly 1.5 million people lost their lives to tuberculosis in 2020, said Dr. Max Saavedra Rodríguez, EsSalud's tuberculosis consultant physician

Meanwhile, in Peru, 24,581 cases of tuberculosis were reported that same year. Four out of ten infected were recorded in Metropolitan Lima and Calla o. Other regions with a high number of cases were Ica, La Libertad, Loreto, Madre de Dios, Ucayali, Tacna, Moquegua, Lambayeque, Ancash and Huánuco.

A map of tuberculosis cases in Peru can also be consulted at this link.

TB IN ESSALUD

In 2021, EsSalud recorded more than 4,800 cases of tuberculosis, of which 485 are minors, representing 10% of all cases. In terms of gender, males are the ones with the highest number of infected people.

EsSalud recalled that tuberculosis is an infectious disease that is transmitted through the droplets of saliva that is expelled into the air by an affected person without treatment when he coughs, sneezes, talks or sings. It mainly attacks the lungs and sometimes other parts of the body such as the brain, spine, kidneys, etc.

The main symptoms are coughing up phlegm for 15 days or more, fever, weight loss, weakness, tiredness, lack of appetite, night sweats, among other characteristics.

Patients with diabetes, HIV AIDS and other chronic diseases are at higher risk of contracting tuberculosis, according to studies.

One of the main measures to stop transmission is the early detection of people with cough for more than 15 days (respiratory symptomatic patient), through the bacilloscopy test or BK in sputum.

RED HOSPITALS

On the other hand, the front of the Ministry of Health and seven national hospitals, will be illuminated in red on the occasion of the commemoration of World Tuberculosis Day to be celebrated this Thursday, March 24, and in show of support to initiatives and programs for the eradication of one of the most contagious diseases in the world.

For the first time, our capital will join cities around the world that will join this global initiative promoted by the Stop TB Partnership program of the UN and the World Health Organization (WHO), which invite symbolically illuminate public buildings and health facilities representative of different places with the aimed at raising public awareness, making this disease visible and the need to strengthen measures to combat it by 2030.

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