24 March - World Tuberculosis Day | Лепельский райисполком

World Tuberculosis Day is observed annually on March 24th by decision of the World Health Organization. It was on this day in 1882 that German microbiologist Robert Koch first described the causative agent of tuberculosis at a meeting of the Berlin Physiological Society.

In the 21st century, tuberculosis remains one of the most widespread infections globally, posing a threat to the populations of most countries. In recent years, its growth has been noted almost everywhere.
The tuberculosis situation is under the control of the Government of the Republic of Belarus and the Ministry of Health.
The main preventive measures include vaccination, early diagnosis, and adherence to treatment regimens.
Currently, new anti-tuberculosis drugs are widely used in the treatment of tuberculosis, and modern methods for early detection of tuberculosis are employed. To enhance motivation and adherence to treatment, patients undergoing outpatient treatment receive social support in the form of food packages for supplementary nutrition, funded by the budget. With the aim of creating comfortable psychological and living conditions, innovative technologies are applied in the organisation of patient treatment: video-observed tuberculosis treatment is used, involving the intake of anti-tuberculosis drugs with video recording on a mobile phone. Treatment effectiveness depends on strict adherence to the doctor's recommendations.
Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis is characterised by various localisations, a diversity of clinical manifestations, intoxication, and organism sensitisation. Patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis are the primary source of infection: when coughing and sneezing, they release mycobacteria, which can remain viable in the air for a long time and infect others. Tuberculosis has a chronic and often latent course, which contributes to its spread.
Tuberculosis is dangerous for people with various diseases that are accompanied by a weakened immune system. People suffering from alcoholism, drug addiction, and homeless individuals in socially dangerous situations often fall ill.

In the Lepel district, among the identified tuberculosis patients, 90% are individuals leading an anti-social lifestyle, abusing alcohol, unemployed, or working in the Russian Federation for extended periods, and consequently, have not undergone X-ray fluorography for more than 3-5 years. Tuberculosis often develops gradually and is characterised by the following symptoms: rapid fatigue and general weakness; decreased or absent appetite; increased sweating, especially at night; weight loss; slight increase in body temperature; shortness of breath during physical exertion; cough or occasional coughing with sputum production, usually in small amounts, possibly with blood. If such complaints arise, it is necessary to consult a general practitioner for diagnostic examinations. Early diagnosis: regular fluorography screening in adults and intradermal immunological tests in children and adolescents contribute to the timely detection and prevention of infection spreading to others. Advanced forms of the disease require prolonged treatment and can result in disability or even death. Tuberculosis detected in a timely manner can be successfully cured. Specific tuberculosis prevention is carried out in our country – BCG-M vaccination of newborns. In accordance with the "National Vaccination Schedule," in the Republic of Belarus, the vaccination is administered in the maternity hospital within the first 3-5 days of a child's life, provided there are no contraindications. The basis of non-specific tuberculosis prevention is a healthy lifestyle. Adherence to personal hygiene rules, regular hardening, engaging in physical culture and sports, careful selection of diets, especially during the winter-spring period, a properly structured work and rest regime, as well as monitoring one's own health – all these measures help to avoid contracting tuberculosis. Epidemiologist N. Pobortseva