Hastings and Prince Edward Counties/ March 24, 2024
World Tuberculosis (TB) Day is March 24, 2024, and this year’s theme is Yes! We can end TB! Hastings Prince Edward Public Health (HPEPH) is encouraging our community to learn about TB and its impact around the world. World TB Day is an annual event that commemorates the discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the pathogen that causes TB by Dr. Robert Koch in 1882.
“TB is preventable and curable, yet it remains one of the most common and deadly infectious diseases worldwide,” says Dr. Ethan Toumishey, Medical Officer of Health and CEO at HPEPH. “World TB Day provides an opportunity for us to join with our partners and communities across the globe in our shared journey to end TB.”
Rates of active TB cases in Canada are among the lowest in the world; however, Indigenous Peoples and Canadians born in countries where TB is more common continue to be disproportionately impacted.
At HPEPH, our infectious and communicable diseases team provides care to clients with latent TB infection (LTBI), active TB infection, and those undergoing TB immigration medical surveillance through various services:
- Monthly clinic for higher risk clients without a health care provider.
- Treatment for those interested in becoming cured of LTBI.
- Education and counselling for those living with LTBI, but not interested in treatment, including what to do should symptoms develop.
- TB Immigration medical surveillance, a requirement of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, for individuals at higher risk for TB infection.
- Rapid response to identified active TB cases in our region, to provide timely treatment and management of disease, and minimize risk of transmission to others.
- Contact management to make sure individuals at higher risk of LTBI from exposure get appropriate testing and follow-up with a respirologist when necessary.
For more information see HPEPH’s Tuberculosis Fact Sheet.
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Media Contact:
Maureen Hyland, Communications Specialist
hyland.maureen@hpeph.ca
Emily Tubbs, Communications Specialist
etubbs@hpeph.ca
About Hastings Prince Edward Public Health
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health (HPEPH) is a public health agency that serves the counties of Hastings and Prince Edward from four local offices. HPEPH is situated and provides services on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe, Huron-Wendat and Haudenosaunee people. We monitor the health of our local population, deliver programs and services within our communities, and help develop healthy public policies. We provide information and support in many areas to help improve the health and well-being of our residents. Together with our communities, we help people become as healthy as they can be. For more information, please visit hpePublicHealth.ca. You can also find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
We invite community partners and residents to share this Media Release with their respective networks.
