Restoring hope in Swaziland: helping stop TB through earlier diagnosis
March 2013
The Kingdom of Swaziland with a population of a million people carries a terrible burden: the world’s highest incidence of tuberculosis (TB) superimposed with high levels of co-infection with HIV. A major challenge is the early detection of people with TB: WHO estimates that around 47% of people with TB in the country are not detected or notified. Late detection of TB increases the risk of disease transmission, poor health outcomes and economic hardship. Although early diagnosis of TB and completion of treatment regimens is key, challenges include length of treatment, side-effects, difficulty in accessing health facilities, poverty and costs of transportation.
This photo essay captures, frame by frame, these problems and some measures that WHO, the national TB programme and partners are taking to find people with TB early, through systematic screening and diagnosis and reach out to them with right, timely and supportive treatment.
Related links
Events
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The 8th Global Conference on Health Promotion
10–14 June 2013
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Sixty-sixth World Health Assembly
20–28 May 2013
Corporate resources
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The world health report
Report on global public health and key statistics -
World health statistics report
WHO's annual compilation of data from its Member States -
International travel and health
Publication on travel risks, precautions and vaccination requirements -
International Health Regulations (IHR)
Global rules to enhance national, regional and global public health security