Decline in Tuberculosis incidence in Singapore

24 Mar 2005

Tuberculosis situation improves in Singapore over the last year

24 March 2005 is World Tuberculosis Day. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared Tuberculosis (TB) a "Global Emergency" as TB kills about 5,000 people a day or 2 million people a year. While TB remains a major health problem around the world, Singapore has seen a drop in number of TB cases.

Over the past five years, Singapore has seen a steady decline in the number of TB cases. There were 1360 cases in 2004, compared to 1525 cases in 2000. In 2004, the incidence rate of TB declined to 39.0 new cases per 100,000 resident population, from 40.8 per 100,000 in 2003 and 47.0 per 100,000 in 2000. Men accounted for 933 (69% percent) of new TB cases in Singapore, and more than half (57%) of the patients were aged 50 years and above. During the year, there were 78 TB deaths, accounting for 0.5% of total deaths.

The concerted efforts carried out under the Singapore Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (STEP) and by the medical community have contributed to the decline in TB cases in Singapore.

Singapore Tuberculosis Elimination Programme

To combat the problem of TB, in 1997 the Ministry of Health embarked on the Singapore Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (STEP). The key component of the STEP is early diagnosis and proper treatment of patients with TB. This will cure and prevent further transmission of the disease and emergence of drug-resistant TB.

Since July 2004, legal enforcement using the Infectious Diseases Act has been applied as a last resort measure to ensure treatment completion amongst recalcitrant TB treatment defaulters in order to control community transmission of the disease, and to prevent the emergence of drug resistant TB. Only a very small number of patients have been issued such orders since July 2004.

Ministry's Advice

TB is an air borne disease transmitted through respiratory droplets from a person with the disease. Persons with TB disease may have a prolonged cough and blood in the sputum. They may also have fever, night sweats, loss of weight and appetite and feel tired and fatigued easily. TB can be cured with proper treatment consisting of at least three different drugs to be taken regularly for six to nine months. Persons who do not complete the full course of treatment or are irregular with treatment may not be cured and continue to be infectious and may develop drug resistant TB. They also have an increased risk of suffering a relapse of TB in the future.

The Ministry would like to advise persons who have symptoms of the disease (prolonged cough, blood in the sputum, fever, night sweats, loss of weight and appetite, tiredness and fatigue) to consult a doctor as soon as possible. This will allow treatment to be started early if TB is diagnosed. The Ministry also advises all persons diagnosed with tuberculosis to follow the advice of their doctor, and to complete treatment for tuberculosis. Tuberculosis is a curable disease and treatment is most successful when patient take every dose of the medication faithfully.

Members of the public who wish to find out more about tuberculosis may obtain more information at the Health Promotion Board website.