A decline, good news, you would think, but that is not the case. “Due to the corona crisis, far fewer people have been tested,” says Tine Demeulenaere, medical advisor at Damien action† “The number of detected infections may be lower, but that does not mean that there are fewer infections.”
The aid organization expects another increase this year, not only in our country, but also in other countries. Especially now that many people are fleeing the war in Ukraine. “In Ukraine, compared to Belgium, more people are infected with the multidrug-resistant variant of tuberculosis,” says Demeulenaere. “This means that the patients have to be treated with different medicines than with a normal infection. There is therefore a chance that we will also get more cases of drug-resistant tuberculosis in Belgium.”
Damien Foundation asks to remain vigilant and to do regular medical screenings. In our country, these screenings are already being done by Fedasil, among others, with the help of the VRGT and the Fonds des Affections Respiratoires (Fares).
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