3 states report thousands of tuberculosis cases

THE number of tuberculosis (TB) cases remains high in Sabah, Sarawak, and Selangor, where government hospitals and clinics have logged thousands of new infections.

Data from last year showed Sabah registered 5,814 new cases, Selangor 5,631, and Sarawak 3,177.

Deputy Health Minister Datuk Lukanisman Awang Sauni revealed these figures while launching the TB awareness programme in Miri.

"TB remains prevalent and is spreading. The public must be educated on its dangers as it can cause serious harm to our body organs, especially the lungs. TB still causes many fatalities," said Lukanisman.

He said TB continues to pose a significant threat to public health in Sarawak, as evidenced by the annual number of new infections.

Lukanisman said the Health Ministry is intensifying efforts to raise awareness of TB among the public. It will launch preventive programmes to get people to live a healthy lifestyle and drop habits such as smoking.

The ministry is collaborating with its state counterparts to extend the outreach campaigns to the rural districts.

TB is a highly contagious disease that can be spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes. – June 15, 2024.