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Findings of the first ever National Tuberculosis Prevalence Survey in Zambia conducted at a cost of US$4.6 million have revealed that the Copperbelt and Lusaka provinces have the majority of TB cases.
Speaking during the launch of the survey report conducted between August 2013 and September 2014 in Lusaka today, Health Minister Joseph Kasonde says Muchinga and Eastern provinces recorded the least prevalence.
Dr Kasonde says the national Tuberculosis prevalence survey was able to capture 46, 099 participants with a participation rate of 84.1 percent.
He states that Bacteriologically confirmed Tuberculosis was found to be 638 per 100, 000 of the population, with a prevalence being higher among males, HIV positive participants, those aged between 35 to 44 and those from urban areas.
He notes that the Tuberculosis burden has continued to cause an enormous health challenge to the people of Zambia and is a big public health challenge to health system in the country.
Dr Kasonde says the ministry of health has set National targets for Tuberculosis control in line with the global targets aiming to detect 70 percent of expected pulmonary smear positive Tuberculosis cases and successfully treat at least 85 percent of these.
He says there is need to expand coverage of diagnosis and treatment interventions in the hot sports so as to facilitate the much needed reduction in the TB burden.
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