Approximately 20,000 People Will Benefit from Tuberculosis Screening as Part of the E-DETECT TB Campaign
Around 20,000 people will benefit from tuberculosis screening using a mobile medical unit, as part of the active detection campaign for this disease, which is part of the E-DETECT TB project.
“The active screening campaign will cover approximately 20,000 individuals from at-risk categories, with the possibility of extending the target to 25,000 beneficiaries. Examinations will be conducted using a mobile medical unit equipped with imaging and molecular diagnostic equipment by specialists from the ‘Marius Nasta’ Pneumophthisiology Institute, with the support of the National Program for the Prevention, Surveillance, and Control of Tuberculosis in Romania,” stated Dr. Beatrice Mahler, manager of the ‘Marius Nasta’ Institute and vice president of the Pneumology Commission of the Ministry of Health, during a press conference on Tuesday.
According to her, the E-DETECT TB caravan aims to ensure the active and early detection of tuberculosis.
E-DETECT TB targets the active detection of TB in vulnerable population groups, which include: people deprived of liberty, homeless individuals, Roma populations, drug users, and very poor populations with limited access to healthcare.
“Today, we are launching the first active tuberculosis diagnosis campaign in Romania. The issue of TB is a complex one, involving medical staff, affected individuals, authorities, and the community as a whole, because we are talking about a disease with a significant impact on public health. The ‘Marius Nasta’ Pneumophthisiology Institute is responsibly involved in implementing health strategies and policies, either developed by the Ministry of Health or aligned with initiatives from the World Health Organization, the UN, or other national or international bodies regarding TB issues, because we have a well-trained human resource in managing tuberculosis and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis patients,” Dr. Beatrice Mahler further stated.
Tests Include Radiological Examinations and Sputum Tests
When a person enters the mobile medical unit for examination, the first step involves completing a questionnaire and recording the medical and socio-demographic data. Then, a chest X-ray is performed, which is transmitted through a telemedicine system to the ‘Marius Nasta’ Institute, where a pneumologist specialist from the project will analyze the imaging result. Simultaneously, another interpretation will be made by a doctor from the Dutch partner – KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation.
For the sputum test, the mobile medical unit is equipped with an advanced automated diagnostic system capable of identifying the DNA of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) complex and resistance to one of the antibiotics used in TB treatment.
Patients diagnosed with TB will subsequently enter a complete treatment and monitoring program (including interventions to increase treatment adherence), in accordance with national recommendations for tuberculosis control.
As of 2016, the incidence of tuberculosis in Romania was five times higher than the EU average.
The E-DETECT TB project is carried out at the European level in countries such as Bulgaria, Italy, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Romania, and Sweden, and includes several components: active diagnosis (Romania, Bulgaria), detection, prevention, and treatment of TB among migrants (Italy), and the establishment of a registry documenting both latent and active tuberculosis cases in Europe (United Kingdom, Netherlands, Sweden). The program is co-financed by the European Commission, through the Executive Agency for Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food.
In Romania, E-DETECT TB is implemented by a team of specialists from the ‘Marius Nasta’ Institute, with support from the National Tuberculosis Prevention, Surveillance, and Control Program. The total value of the project in our country is 970,449 euros, co-financed by the Ministry of Health, which allocated 612,069 euros.
