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Thandeka Moyo, Chronicle Reporter
ZIMBABWE will join the rest of the world in commemorating World TB Day on Friday with latest statistics showing that about 70 percent of Zimbabweans suffering from TB are co-infected with HIV.

According to the 2016 World Health Organisation (WHO) Global Tuberculosis Report, Zimbabwe is part of the 30 TB highly burdened countries.

Zimbabwe is one of only 14 countries around the world designated as “high burden” by the World Health Organisation for TB, multi-drug-resistant TB, and TB/HIV co-infection.

Tuberculosis is an infectious bacterial disease caused by mycobacterium tuberculosis, which most commonly affects the lungs and is transmitted via droplets from the throat and lungs of people with the active respiratory disease.

This year’s commemorations will be held under the theme “Unite for TB” and the main commemoration will be in Shurugwi in the Midlands province.

The report said latest figures from 2015 show that about 38 000 people were diagnosed with TB in 2016.

“Of the 38 000 new TB infections, men accounted for about 52 percent of the infections. Children aged from zero to 14 years accounted for 5 000 of the total new infections,” read the document.

“A total of 12 000 people died due to TB and HIV in 2015 while an additional 2 300 contracted the drug resistant type of tuberculosis.”

TB continues to be the leading cause of death among people living with HIV, and approximately 70 percent of Zimbabweans suffering from TB are co-infected with HIV.

Statistics from the Ministry of Health and Child Care show that of the 1 580 cases of DR-TB that were recorded in 2015, the Government sourced medication for 1 371 patients.

“The number of DR-TB detected cases were at 40 in 2010 and we only availed medication to 28 people. The statistics have risen over the past years to 1 580 and we are still working on providing medication for all our patients diagnosed with DR-TB,” reads the Ministry’s report.

According to the report, the country is conducting a national drug resistant survey to determine the burden of DR-TB in different provinces.

@thamamoe