According to the Health Ministry’s (Minsa) report, published in La Prensa newspaper, 2,118 TB sufferers were registered last year, against the 1440 cases registered by November 8.

Minsa’s press release indicated that these figures, although lower than those of 2023, reflect the persistence of the disease, especially in areas with high social vulnerability.

The study reflects that the territories with the highest incidence of TB are metropolitan areas in this capital and the western province of Bocas de Toro, prompting a necessary control and prevention strategy. Of the cases registered last year, 1,385 were men and 733 women.

This year, preliminary figures show a similar trend, with 1,088 men and 552 women affected.

Experts also emphasize the importance of patients completing treatment to achieve cure and reduce the transmission of the disease, and urged the population to seek immediate medical attention as soon as they show persistent symptoms such a cough, fever, night sweats or weight loss.

The Minsa research includes reports from the World Health Organization (WHO) which last year identified 342,000 cases in Latin America and the Caribbean last year, a 6.6 percent hike over 2022.

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