He said the 2% increase amounted to 51 more deaths compared with 2022, Bernama reported.
He added that a total of 26,781 TB cases were reported last year, which was an increase of 5.47% from the 25,391 cases in 2022.
“Tuberculosis continues to pose a major disease burden in Malaysia. The current statistics are worrisome and adversely affect the quality of life for Malaysians.
“With the availability of curative TB treatments, efforts to detect and initiate early treatment need to be intensified,” he said in a statement released in conjunction with World TB Day today.
TB is an airborne infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, primarily affecting the lungs (pulmonary TB), although other organs such as the brain (meningitis TB), spine (spinal TB), lymph nodes (lymph node TB), abdomen (abdominal TB), can also be infected.
Symptoms include persistent cough lasting more than two weeks, fever, night sweats, loss of appetite, weight loss, and coughing up blood.
“Misconceptions surrounding tuberculosis symptoms, such as attributing them to sorcery, witchcraft, or hereditary diseases, must be dispelled, to ensure that individuals experiencing symptoms promptly seek examination and treatment at nearby health clinics and hospitals.
“Those at high risk of contracting tuberculosis, such as HIV patients, chronic kidney disease patients, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) sufferers, active smokers, and individuals in contact with tuberculosis cases, must also undergo screening,” he was quoted as saying.
According to Dzulkefly, patients with TB are treated with a combination of antibiotics that needs to be taken daily for at least six months.
He said patients who stop or refuse to continue treatment may face legal action under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 (Act 342), he added.
“It is the aspiration and hope of the nation that tuberculosis ceases to be an infectious disease in society by the year 2035, aligning with the ‘Stop TB Strategy’ by the World Health Organisation.
“To achieve this, high commitment and close cooperation among individuals, communities, and various agencies are crucial,” he said, according to Bernama.