Vol. 562 No. 6
47 Mr. McGinley asked the Minister for Health and Children the position regarding the apparent increase of reported cases of tuberculosis here, particularly recently reported cases in institutions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6673/03]
The incidence of tuberculosis in Ireland has declined dramatically since its peak at the beginning of the 20th century. TB has been a significant cause of mortality in Ireland. There has been a notable and steady decline in the level of TB over the past 20 years. In 1990 there were 613 notified cases of TB – by 2000 this figure had fallen by 35% to 395 cases. This represents the lowest ever annual incidence rate of TB in Ireland. The combination of BCG vaccination, expert medical diagnosis and treatment with the use of antibiotics and better living conditions have brought about a dramatic improvement in the situation, but continued vigilance is crucial.
Information supplied by the NDSC indicates that for the year 2001, which is the last complete year for which figures are available, the number of cases of TB per health board region is as follows:
|
Health Board |
Number of Cases |
|
ERHA |
180 |
|
MHB |
9 |
|
MWHB |
36 |
|
NEHB |
39 |
|
NWHB |
15 |
|
SEHB |
22 |
|
SHB |
72 |
|
WHB |
22 |
|
Total |
395 |
|
Year |
Number of TB cases |
|
1998 |
424 |
|
1999 |
469 |
|
2000 |
395 |
|
2001 |
395 |
