A pact to fight tuberculosis in the state of Rio de Janeiro was launched this Tuesday (16th) with the signing of a set of actions to combat the disease that will involve 92 cities in Rio de Janeiro over the next five years. Rio de Janeiro is the first state in the country in terms of tuberculosis mortality rate and the second with the highest incidence rate of cases. 
Data on treatment abandonment are also high: about 19% of patients stopped taking their drugs before the indicated period of six months in 2020. The set of measures aims to reduce the incidence and mortality from the disease.
“We are guaranteeing resources in the order of R$ 246.3 million for the next five years, that is, medium and long-term investment, regardless of the manager. With this, we will increase healing, treatment, testing and intensify attention to abandonment. These resources were destined by Alerj [Assembleia Legislativa do Rio de Janeiro] and they add to the budget that the secretariat already invests annually”, said the Secretary of State for Health, Alexandre Chieppe.
The Plan to Strengthen Tuberculosis Control Actions in the State of Rio de Janeiro aims to expand and enhance actions to combat the disease. The partners in the project are the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), which, through technical cooperation, will be responsible for managing the resources; the municipalities, which will put the projects into practice, and the Ministry of Health.
According to the representative of PAHO, Kleidson Andrade, tuberculosis affects 10 million people worldwide, causing 1.5 million deaths per year. For him, the Tuberculosis Control Strengthening Plan is a unique moment in the history of the state.
“Brazil registers a third of the cases of the disease in the Americas and the incidence in the state of Rio de Janeiro is alarming. The Pact to Fight Tuberculosis joins forces and weapons against the disease. PAHO supports the Secretary of Health in carrying out these actions, in addition to collaborating in the execution and management of programs,” she explained.
food reinforcement
The general coordinator of Respiratory Diseases at the Ministry of Health, Patrícia Bartholomai, believes that the food reinforcement for patients undergoing treatment and the increase in the realization of diagnoses improve the indicators.
“The project is in its structuring stage to be able to move forward with consistency in the coming years. I believe that social support will be able to make a difference and improve tuberculosis cure data,” said the ministry representative.
data in state
In 2021, the state of Rio de Janeiro reported 16,099 cases of tuberculosis of all forms, 12,986 of which were new cases. The incidence rate was more than 74 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. In 2020, there were 11,623 new occurrences of the disease.
Currently, Rio de Janeiro occupies the second position in the national ranking of tuberculosis incidence, being the first in mortality from this cause. Over the years, the number of deaths from tuberculosis has increased. In 2019, there were 659 deaths. In 2020, 765 deaths, and 876 in 2021.
