Is WHO’s estimate on Ethiopia correct?

  1. Posted on Monday 17 January 2011 - 11:20
    Addis Man
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    Neway Tsegaye, AfricaNews reporter in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
    Ethiopia has undertaken a nationwide population based TB prevalence survey that aims at determining the true epidemiology of Tuberculosis in Ethiopia.
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    According to the Ethiopian Ministry of Health, the case detection rate of TB remained unacceptably low and steady about 34% and WHO’s annual estimates for Ethiopia, erratically jumped from 152 to 168 per 100,000 populations in 2008 only. This made the Ministry question the correctness and reliability of the estimates by the WHO. Eventually deciding to conduct a nationwide population based TB prevalence survey.

    The Ministry considers its TB program to be a great achievement in its health sector and is determined to prove World Health Organization’s estimate to be inaccurate. The Ministry hopes to adjust the incidence, prevalence and other targets based on the findings.

    The survey covers a total of 85 clusters (kebels), which is believed to represent rural/agrarian, pastoralist and urban communities have been randomly selected for the survey. It includes interviews, physical examination of cervical lymphadenitis, chest x-ray and collection of sputum samples from pulmonary TB suspects, covering about 47,000 participants in the country.

    All identified cases during the survey, will receive proper treatment, free of charge, according to the national protocol. More than 60 professionals from different disciplines make up the Survey Team. Global Fund and other partner organizations in country will provide financial as well as technical support towards the completion of the nationwide survey.

    The survey enables to know the status of the country towards of the MDG particularly in TB too. The survey has been started since September 2010 and ends June 2011.

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