World TB Day 2002 - In the News

Canada NewsWire
Headline: Awareness campaign marks World Tuberculosis Day
Date: March 22, 2002, Friday, Toronto12:45 PM Eastern Time

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Toronto Public Health - Community groups, hospitals, and over three thousand family physicians in Toronto are receiving tuberculosis information and an update on TB in the city in an effort to raise awareness of the disease and mark World TB Day, March 24.

Toronto has close to 400 cases of TB per year, approximately one quarter of all cases reported annually in Canada. World TB Day is sponsored by the World Health Organization. This year's theme is "Stop TB, fight poverty."

Dr. Barbara Yaffe, Associate Medical Officer of Health, said the public needs basic facts about TB. "This disease is preventable, treatable and curable. We are working with all our partners to provide information on diagnosis, treatment and prevention."

At the local level, Toronto Public Health is continuing its investigation and follow-up of a TB outbreak in two downtown shelters. Fourteen cases of TB have been linked to the outbreak. No new cases related to this outbreak have been reported since January, 2002.

"We are working closely with shelter staff, community agencies and St. Michael's Hospital TB clinic to provide treatment and contain the outbreak. We have conducted 52 TB screening clinics for individuals who have come in contact with active TB cases, and administered 1,159 TB skin tests at 12 sites in the city," said Dr. Yaffe.

As part of ongoing education and outbreak control measures, Public Health staff have also conducted three full-day workshops for 332 shelter staff from 124 agencies that provide services to the homeless.

The TB Sub-committee of the Toronto Board of Health, which includes representatives from hospitals, community agencies, school board representatives and long-term care facilities is meeting today to discuss TB prevention and treatment as well as outreach to vulnerable communities.

For more information on World TB Day, visit the World Health Organization web site at: www.who.int/home-page                 Visit our Web site at www.city.toronto.on.ca.

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