Rabat – Moroccan Ministry of Health and Social Protection on Thursday launched its sixth national campaign to increase early diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) and improve treatment for the infection.
The campaign will take place from March 25 to June 30 under the slogan “Towards a national mobilization to save lives and eliminate tuberculosis in Morocco”, the ministry said in a press release.
TB is a deadly bacterial infection that primarily affects the lungs but can also affect other organs and poses a serious public health problem in Morocco.
The press release noted that TB affects approximately 30,000 people around the world and kills more than 4,000 every day.
Morocco detected nearly 30,000 cases of tuberculosis in 2021, 60% of which affected men and 40% women.
The release noted that fighting this disease is one of the ministry’s priorities, highlighting the increased budget share given to the campaign.
Morocco now has 63 centers specialized in diagnosing and treating TB and respiratory diseases, while 56 health centers are also qualified to provide the same services.
The ministry highlighted the significant progress the national TB program has made, reducing the incidence rate in recent decades by 34% and death rate by 68% as well as a success rate in treating the disease of more than 85%. The ministry added that it wants to eliminate TB by 2030.
A 2021-2023 health ministry plan to control and prevent the spread of TB in Morocco aims to reduce the death rate of the infection in 2023 by 60% compared to 2015 and enhance detection of it.
Researchers from the MAScIR Foundation have designed a 100% Moroccan TB molecular test that can detect if someone has contracted the infection in 30 minutes.
