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Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Qatar : MDR-Tuberculosis on the rise around the world

An article from The Peninsula, excerpt :

" Due to frequent travel by some residents from TB endemic areas in the world, most countries are susceptible to increased incidence rates of MDR-TB ((Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis). For example: China, India and Russia all report increases. WHO (World Health Organization) estimates 440,000 cases of MDR-TB (2008) worldwide. So where does that leave Qatar? What about its huge multinational workforce coming and going on annual leaves, business trips and holidays?

Dr. Faraj Al-Alousi, Consultant Infectious Diseases at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), in an interview with me stated, “TB incidence in Qatari nationals is very low, in the range of 5 cases per 100,000 persons per year. But, among the immigrant population in Qatar, it is much higher, averaging 40-45 cases per 100,000 persons per year.” The 2010 World Health Organization (WHO) report on MDR-TB indicates MDR-TB cases are on the rise in many regions of the world."

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