Also, but not only. The number of cases of tuberculosis in Portugal is largely associated with increasing cases in immigrants. However, this is not the only factor that explains the growing tendency of the disease.
Portugal registered 1,584 cases of tuberculosis in 2023, maintaining the notification rate in 14.9 cases per 100 thousand inhabitants. However, the number of cases of MULTRIBRESISTANT TUBERCULOSIS DUPLATED.
The data, which are contained in the report of surveillance and monitoring of tuberculosis in Portugal of the Directorate-General of Health (DGS), note that the immigrants remained as a population in a situation of greater vulnerability.
In this population, the notification rate 3.6 times higher than the national average (54.3 cases per 100,000 migrants by 2023), and an increase in cases compared to 2022 (35.8% in 2023 and 30% in 2022).
Specifically on multi -resistant tuberculosis, Portugal registered, in 2023, 22 cases – twice the previous year previous year. Fifteen cases (68.2%) occurred in migrants and 31.8% in people born in Portugal.
In Gerla, the region of Lisbon and Vale do Tagus and North remained the two regions of higher incidencewith 18.2 and 16 cases per 100 thousand inhabitants, respectively.
“There were 76 deaths, which corresponds to a lethality of 4.8% in all reported cases, and cases of deaths are associated with other comorbidities and also with an age group over 75 years,” DGS National Tuberculosis Program (PNT) told Lusa, Lusa told Lusa (PNT), Isabel Carvalho.
“Tuberculosis remains a disease that is more focused on populations in a situation of greater vulnerability, both in the migrant population and then in its association with other social determinantssuch as dependencies, or other infections, such as HIV infection or other chronic diseases, such as poorly controlled diabetes or even cancer diseases, ”he said.
Immigration does not explain everything
Speaking to Antena 1, Isabel Carvalho stressed that the problem is not just in immigration: “There are then some parameters of characteristics of the reception country that will determine our susceptibility and pass from infection to active disease, such as bad socioeconomic conditionsor even [a falta de] health carewho are weakening us. ”
Isabel Carvalho points out that there is a Non -diagnosis delay.
“We have full perception that health professionals are trained, but they need to think earlier in tuberculosis (…) to put tuberculosis in their diagnostic hypotheses list, especially when there are respiratory symptoms, because the most frequent form of tuberculosis remains the pulmonary form, which is also inevitably associated with the transmission of disease in the community,” he said.
In 2023, the delay attributed to the patient (from the beginning of symptoms to the first contact with health services) remained stable in about 43 days, while the delay attributed to health services was 13 days.
The doctor explained that the days attributed to the patient are related to other factors, “namely not knowing how to access health care in tuberculosis, or do not value symptoms, or do not have to access health care in tuberculosis.”
It has therefore advocated that it is essential to work with all local partners with the most vulnerable populations, helping them recognize symptoms and move to specialized services.
Still, in the migrant population, the delay until diagnosis presented, in 2023, a median of 78 days, lower than the national median (81 days).
Immigrants should access the care
Isabel Carvalho explained that “most immigrants, albeit infected, are very poor likely to develop tuberculosis.”
“What we need is to try to have these migrant citizens know how to access health care in tuberculosis and that, even if they are in an irregular situation ”they can and should do so and are exempt at any cost.
“It is a disease that, when treated, benefits not only themselves, but the entire population”He bound.
According to Isabel Carvalho, tuberculosis remains of the most relevant infectious diseases in the world scenario, as well as in Portugal, “for their impact and frequency” in terms of these diseases.
