KUALA BERANG: Eleven deaths due to tuberculosis (TB) have been recorded in Terengganu so far this year.
Terengganu State Health Department director, Datuk Dr Kasemani Embong, said all the deaths involved adult patients who failed to seek early treatment for the bacterial infection.
She said 210 new TB cases have been registered, down four cases compared to last year.
“In 2024, 632 new TB cases were recorded, marking a 6.9 per cent decrease compared to 679 cases in the previous year.
“However, we cannot be complacent as last year there were 26 deaths due to delays in seeking treatment,“ she said at the state-level celebration of World Malaria Day, World Health Day, and World TB Day 2025 here today.
Dr Kasemani called on the public to cooperate, urging individuals showing symptoms to participate in early screening for the disease.
She said the influx of foreign nationals has elevated the risk of TB infection.
“The entry of undocumented foreign nationals increases the risk of infection. Therefore, we need information from the public to conduct screening and control measures,“ she said.
Meanwhile, Dr Kasemani said that only three malaria cases have been documented in Terengganu this year.
These include two cases of zoonotic malaria and one imported human malaria case, reported in the Kemaman, Hulu Terengganu, and Setiu districts.