PREPARED BY:
Infectious Disease Prevention
DATE:
2024-05-16
SUBJECT:
Tuberculosis Campaign in IDP
BACKGROUND/PURPOSE
While tuberculosis (TB) is preventable and curable, 10 million people around the world become sick from TB and 1.5 million people die every year (WHO, 2023). According to Jordan et al. (2023), TB is the leading cause of death by a single infectious agent worldwide. Foreign-born residents bear 80% of the burden of TB disease in Canada, where 1 in 4 foreign-born Canadian residents has TB infection (Jordan et al., 2023). People with active TB may pass the bacteria to others by coughing, speaking, or saliva. Without proper treatment, TB infection can cause sever illness or even death. TB can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, or race.
The incidence of active TB has continued to increase provincially, and Windsor-Essex County (WEC) is also seeing a rise. In 2023, WEC had 13 reported cases of active TB – the highest number in 4 years, as well as 294 cases of TB infection. The WECHU’s Infectious Disease Team also supported the transfer of three active TB disease cases to West Park Healthcare Centre in Toronto to further assist with isolation requirements. In addition, the WECHU received 161 TB medical surveillance (TBMS) reports from the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) in 2023 for individuals who newly arrived in Canada.
DISCUSSION
World Tuberculosis (TB) Day was observed on March 24 and this year’s theme, “Yes! We can end TB”, provided an opportunity to raise awareness about TB-related problems and solutions and to support worldwide TB control efforts. A package was shared with local community partners containing information about TB and the bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccination, as well as a copy of WECHU’s TB Health Care Provider Investigation and Reporting Form and Public Health Ontario’s General Test Requisition Form. Proclamations were also proclaimed by the City of Windsor and the Town of Essex, highlighting World TB Day in 2024. Moreover, an information booth was set up at Devonshire Mall on March 25th, 2024, from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm, to shed light on World TB Day and raise community awareness.
The WECHU invites local community partners to join quarterly Community of Practice (CoP) meetings focused on infectious diseases, like TB. The aim is to foster technical exchange, collaboration, learning, capacity building, and resource mobilization by providing a forum to enable information sharing and problem-solving relevant to the IDP public health standards.