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Ammon News - Specialist in chest and respiratory diseases, Dr. Mohammad Tarawneh, revealed that the war waged by the Israeli occupation army on the Gaza Strip in threatening the spread of tuberculosis (TB) throughout the Arab region.

Tarawneh said in a statement which Ammon received a copy of it that tuberculosis is still one of the most deadly infectious diseases in the world, and although it is too early to make an accurate assessment of the long-term consequences of the war, expectations show that the conflict will raise the rates of tuberculosis infection, with the movements of displaced people and residence in Camps, cramped shelters, and lack of medical care help spread infectious diseases.

On the World TB Day, which falls on Sunday, March 24, Tarawneh stated that the World Health Organization (WHO) allocates $17 billion to tuberculosis patients, calling for the development of an Arab strategy to treat the disease.

At a time when the WHO is working to eliminate it, it has announced the extension of the initiative of its Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on eliminating tuberculosis and achieving universal health coverage for the period from 2023 to 2027 to 2030.

Tarawneh also called for the existence of an Arab protocol and strategy for treating the TB, due its severe danger of human health, pointing out that there is no Arab protocol or strategy for the TB, and that what exists are regional efforts of countries.

The TB is an infectious disease that is dangerous and constitutes a global health problem. Therefore, this disease is transmitted through breathing. The cause of this disease is the TB germ, or the so-called Mycobacterium tuberculosis germ, Tarawneh added.

He explained that in 2021, cases of the TB infection reached approximately 10 and a half million, while it claimed the lives of approximately one and a half million. These numbers are very high, but due to the efforts made by the WHO and international efforts, the numbers indicate that in 2022, approximately 74 million were protected from tuberculosis.

The TB symptoms are a continuous cough, accompanied by blood or mucus, with a feeling of pain in the chest area and during breathing and coughing, with noticeable weight loss, fatigue, night sweats, fever, loss of appetite, and general weakness, Tarawneh stated.

He also stressed the need for developed countries to support areas where conflicts and wars occur and which suffer from low economies for early monitoring of such cases so that the infection does not spread.

The latest research conducted at the University of Cambridge stated that there are some preparations that help reduce the incidence of resistance to treatments for tuberculosis, such as medicine, which people use for the purposes of heart disease and high blood pressure (Verapamil), he noted.

Regarding prevention methods, Tarawneh explained that in the event of infection with tuberculosis, you must stay at home and avoid mixing. It is not possible to go to places where others are, such as: work or school, and you must isolate yourself in a separate room, especially in the first weeks of infection.