Communicable diseases in the Gulf: the case of tuberculosis.

AuthorYeboah, David Achanfuo
PositionReport

INTRODUCTION

THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, COMMUNICABLE diseases are assuming increasing importance both in terms of morbidity (disease) and mortality (deaths). Communicable diseases are the principal causes of deaths in many countries around the world. Communicable diseases incapacitate millions of people every year and, while much of this incapacitation is usually temporary, productivity is, by and large, adversely affected. The effect of communicable diseases on productivity is often measured in terms of years of life lost as a result of the incidence and prevalence of communicable diseases The Arabian Gulf is one geographical region where anecdotal evidence suggests that not only do communicable diseases thrive, but that they substantially impact on productivity.

According to the World Health Organization (2003), all the Gulf Cooperating Countries (GCC) incurred productivity losses as a result of communicable diseases. For example, the Organization reported that, in 2002, the Years of Life lost due to communicable diseases were 10, 18, 24, 16, 22 and 12 for Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) respectively. Oman recorded the highest Years of Life lost, while the UAE recorded the lowest. The prevalence of communicable diseases and their impact in the Gulf presupposes a need to examine some of the leading communicable diseases in detail, hence the rationale behind this study. Besides, the Region is under-represented in the literature on communicable diseases. Two of the most prominent communicable diseases in the world are Tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS. These diseases are also present in the Gulf and, in this first article in the series of investigations into communicable diseases in the Gulf, the focus is on tuberculosis.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this article is to examine the incidence, prevalence and the risk of acquiring Tuberculosis in the Gulf Region, focusing particularly on the Gulf Cooperating Countries (GCC as they are usually called). The article also examines detection and treatment rates as well as mortality from Tuberculosis in those countries. The objective is to throw more light on the subject, provide useful insights, and increase understanding of the epidemiology of the disease in the said countries. While the disease is rife in the Region affecting both locals and Expatriates, studies on the diseases in the Gulf are conspicuously missing in the literature.

SOURCES OF DATA AND METHODOLOGIES

The data used in this study have come from the statistical sources of the World Health Organization. The methodologies involve an epidemiological analysis of data and the computation of epidemiological measures such as incidence and prevalence rates, risk indicators, mortality, detection and treatment rates. These computations and analysis increase the existing knowledge and understanding of Tuberculosis (TB) in the Region.

FINDINGS

The findings of the study are summarized under the broad headings of population, morbidity, mortality, detection and treatment. The population of any country has the potential to acquire any diseases prevailing in the country. The population is also the ultimate beneficiary of any program including treatment or therapeutic programs available in that country (Yeboah, 1998). Thus the study examines the population of the GCC Members in terms of their population sizes. The findings on morbidity concentrate on incidence, prevalence, and risk associated with Tuberculosis, while the mortality findings look at mortality from Tuberculosis for the population which is not positive to HIV/AIDS. The epidemiological analyses are followed by a discussion of levels of detection and treatment.

POPULATION

Member countries of the GCC have a total population of 35.247 million. Table 1 shows the total population and annual population growth rates of the Gulf Cooperating Countries. Saudi Arabia recorded the largest population size of 24.2 million in 2006, followed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) 4.2 million, Kuwait 2.8 million, Oman 2.5 million, Qatar 0.8 million and Bahrain 0.7 million.

MORBIDITY

With regards to morbidity analysis, the study examined three essential areas, namely incidence, prevalence and the risk of getting infected with Tuberculosis (TB) in the GCC.

INCIDENCE RATES

Table 2 shows the Incidence Rates of TB in the...

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