Tuberculosis in Bangladesh
In most low-income countries, tuberculosis is still a leading cause of death and illness. According to the Global Tuberculosis Report, 10 million people fell ill with TB, and an estimated 1.5 million died of the disease in 2020. Eight countries account for two-thirds of the reported TB burden in the world: India (27%), China (9%), Indonesia (8%), the Philippines (6%), Pakistan (6%), Nigeria (4%), Bangladesh (4%) and South Africa (3%).
Bangladesh is one the most densely populated and ranks as the 7th most TB burdened country in the world. Every year over 360,000 people contract TB, and 9,000 people from amongst them develop Multi Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB). Over 44,000 people die from TB, making it the 3rd highest killer in Bangladesh.
Organizations such as BRAC, Damien Foundation, HEED, and Interactive Research & Development (IRD) support the National TB Program in controlling TB. My project focuses on IRD’s active screening programs to diagnose childhood TB, the follow-up of children diagnosed with TB in their communities, and the lives of patients and their caregivers undergoing treatment for Multi-Drug Resistant TB (MDR-TB) at the National Institute of Diseases of the Chest and Hospital (NIDCH).
