TB in Ghana: Key figures and statistics revealed

Ghana continues to battle a high burden of tuberculosis (TB), with health authorities estimating about 44,000 new cases each year.

According to the Programmes Manager of the National TB Programme, Dr Bernard Ziem, current resource capacity only allows the health system to identify between 22,000 and 24,000 cases, leaving a shortfall of infected individuals who unknowingly spread the disease.

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In a recent interview on Channel One TV, he said the gaps pose a major public health risk, as untreated individuals continue to spread the disease unknowingly.

“Each year, according to our resource capacity, we estimate about 22,000 to 24,000, and we are able to find up to 90% of this annual target limited to our resources. But the challenge which I want to communicate is that we are left with a gap of about 20,000 each year that we are not able to find.

“And these people will continue to transmit it not deliberately, but because this is an airborne disease. It is transmitted by droplet infections from people who have the active disease," he stated.

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He noted that while resources remain limited, Ghana continues to make progress in detecting cases within its capacity.

“Based on our current resources, we are able to find up to 90 percent of our annual target,” he remarked

However, Dr Ziem pointed out that children remain significantly underdiagnosed.

“We expect children to make up about 8 to 10 percent of detected cases, but in 2025, we identified only about 700 cases.If we detect 20,000 cases, about 2,000 should be children, but we are far below that,” he noted.

Dr Ziem stressed that individuals do not need to wait until symptoms become severe before seeking medical attention.

He also reiterated that TB is both preventable and curable, with treatment lasting about six months for drug-susceptible cases.

Importantly, testing and treatment are provided free of charge at public health facilities across the country.

World Tuberculosis Day is celebrated annually on March 24 to raise awareness and catalyse action towards ending the global epidemic.

JKB/EB

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