The Travel Clinic marks World TB Day

8 March 2013

March 24th is World TB Day, presenting the perfect opportunity for The Travel Clinic to raise awareness of tuberculosis (TB) worldwide and TB prevention. Progress towards global targets for reductions in TB cases and deaths in recent years has been impressive: TB mortality has fallen over 40% worldwide since 1990, and incidence is declining. New TB tools such as rapid diagnostics are helping transform response to the disease.

An estimated 8.7 million new cases of TB were identified in 2011 and 1.4 million people died from TB

·         More than 95% of TB deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.

·         Poor communities and vulnerable groups are most affected.

·         TB is among the top three causes of death for women aged 15 to 44;

·         An estimated 0.5 million cases and 64 000 deaths among children in 2011;
 

Stop TB in My Lifetime

·         WHO and the Stop TB Partnership, hosted at WHO, are together promoting World TB Day.

·         2013 is the second year of a two-year campaign for World TB Day, with the slogan “Stop TB in My Lifetime”.

World TB Day provides the opportunity for affected persons and the communities in which they live, civil society organizations, health-care providers, and other partners to discuss and plan further collaboration to fulfil the promise of stopping TB in our lifetimes through advocacy and action.

·         In the United Kingdom, routine BCG vaccination for teenagers was discontinued in 2005, which leaves us with a huge issue for gap year students and other young people under the age of 22

·         BCG may be required for those who have not previously been vaccinated and to tuberculin negative individuals according to the destination and the nature of travel. Protection may be needed with those who are going to live and work with local people for more than three months in an area where the incidence of tuberculosis is high.

·         NICE guidelines recommend BCG vaccination for all healthcare workers irrespective of age who are unvaccinated or have a negative mantoux. Others at occupational risk may include: laboratory staff dealing with patients, clinical materials or derived isolates, veterinary staff who handle animal species susceptible to TB, ie bats, abattoir workers, prison staff, staff of care homes for the elderly, staff of hostels for the homeless, refugees and asylum seekers.

·         Some countries such as the United States request mantoux tests as part of their occupational screening.
                  


Here at The Travel Clinic Ltd, both in Ipswich and Cambridge we can perform the tuberculin skin test (Mantoux) and also the BCG vaccination.

 

For appointments please contact us enquiries@travelclinic.ltd.uk    or 0845 5480 543   

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