The World Health Organization (WHO) designated the theme for this year’s World Tuberculosis Day on March 24 as “The Clock is Ticking,” a reminder to the public that when the whole world is collectively fighting against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), we must also continue to focus on tuberculosis (TB), another infectious disease of the respiratory tract; through this theme, the WHO also calls upon all sectors of society to work together to bring an end to TB. As a response to simultaneous “Light up for TB” events across the world, on the evening of March 23, the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) held a press conference called “The Clock is Ticking to End TB” at the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall Democracy Boulevard. Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung, International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease consultant Chiang Chen-yuan, Infectious Disease Prevention Advisory Committee on TB Prevention convener Suo Ren, and the Taiwan MDR-TB Consortium and relevant academic associations and groups collectively participated in a light up ceremony demonstrating Taiwan’s continuing efforts in taking action to “eliminate TB” to the world and calling upon the public to place importance on TB prevention and control.

Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung expressed that despite the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic over the last year, the government has still maintained consistent TB preventative measures as well as medical care services, from BCG vaccination, diagnosis and treatment of TB to testing and treatment of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI), in order to eliminate the threat of TB to the public. In addition, the public must also increase their vigilance about TB. While TB is more common among the elderly population, young people and high-risk populations must not take it lightly; anyone who experiences a cough for over two weeks, cough with sputum, weight loss, fever, chest pain or other symptoms should immediately seek medical attention. If LTBI is detected by contact investigation, individuals should cooperate with treatment to prevent the development of an active TB. 

Influenced by COVID-19, the number of reported TB cases across the world drastically decreased and the number of relative deaths increased in 2020. Fortunately, as a result of Taiwan’s effective COVID-19 prevention efforts, the impact on TB control has been relatively small. With the collective efforts of various sectors, the annual number of new TB patients decreased 53%, from 16,472 cases in 2005 (incidence rate of 73 cases per 100,000 people) to an estimated 7,900 cases in 2020 (incidence rate of 34 cases per 100,000 people). However, TB is still one of the most significant infectious diseases in Taiwan with an average of one reported case per hour, a rate significantly higher than the number of new COVID-19 cases in Taiwan. In order to fight against TB, Taiwan CDC continues to work toward the goals of eliminating TB by 2035, rigorously implementing proactive detection for high-risk populations as well as testing and treatment strategies for LTBI, improving the accessibility and quality of treatment care, enhancing case management, and other measures so as to ensure that patients are not affected by the COVID-19 pandemic by receiving early diagnosis and treatment and ensure that patients receive directly observed therapy care to stop transmission and prevent illness. 

Taiwan CDC reminds the public that TB is a preventable and treatable illness. While LTBI patients are not contagious, those patients are advised to receive treatment early to prevent illness and protect one’s own health and the health of those around them. For more information, visit the Taiwan CDC website (https://www.cdc.gov.tw), the Taiwan CDC official LINE account or dial the toll-free Communicable Disease Reporting and Consultation Hotline, 1922 (or 0800-001922), for other inquiries.