Epidemiological review of leprosy in WHO’s Western Pacific Region: 1991–2019

@#Background: Leprosy elimination was achieved in the Western Pacific Region of the World Health Organization (WHO) in the late 1980s. However, cases continue to be reported within the Region. This paper analyses leprosy cases in the Region reported to WHO during 1991–2019. Methods: Descriptive analyses were conducted of data from leprosy surveillance reported in the Region. Key indicators included prevalence, the number and rate of new cases detected, proportions of cases with multibacillary leprosy or grade 2 disability, and the numbers and proportions of cases among children and cases by sex. Results: From 1991 to 2019, the number of registered cases detected in the Region decreased by 94% (from 68 313 in 1991 to 4381 in 2019), and the number of new cases detected decreased by 72.1% (from 15 002 in 1991 to 4004 in 2019). The proportion of cases of multibacillary leprosy increased from 67.4% (8045/11 943) in 1995 to 85.6% (3428/4004) in 2019, and between 1997 and 2019 the number of leprosy cases occurring in children decreased from 1240 to 424. The proportion of new cases with grade 2 disability decreased from 15.4% in 1997 to 6.6% in 2019. With few exceptions, nearly two thirds of reported cases occurred in males. Conclusion: Most countries and areas in the Region have successfully eliminated leprosy, although some pockets remain in countries with hard-to-reach areas. The introduction of multidrug therapy and WHO’s 1991 elimination goals may have prompted the initial decline in leprosy cases. Continued efforts are required in case-finding, care and prevention in areas with a high burden of disease.

Tuberculosis outbreaks in schools: Experiences from the Western Pacific Region

@#Reports of tuberculosis (TB) outbreaks among schoolchildren have increased in recent years in countries across the Western Pacific Region. Cases from China, Japan, Mongolia and the Republic of Korea were studied to derive lessons from the challenges and responses to TB outbreaks in schools. Despite differences in the TB burden and outbreak preparedness, the four countries reported similar challenges. These included delayed diagnosis of index cases, lack of experienced health professionals and sustained financial support, and difficulty in responding to intensified media and community attention. Early detection of outbreaks, established resource mobilization networks, coordination among stakeholders and proactive communication were highlights of successful outbreak responses. These principles could be adapted to each context for responses to future TB outbreaks in schools.

Intensified research on tuberculosis in the Western Pacific Region: a bibliometric analysis, 2000-2019

@#“Intensified TB research and innovation” is one of the three pillars of the End TB Strategy. To assess achievements and gaps in tuberculosis (TB) research productivity in countries and areas of the Western Pacific Region quantitatively, a bibliometric analysis was carried out by examining trends in the numbers of publications on TB indexed in PubMed between 2000 and 2019 and by comparing them with trends in publications on other selected major infectious diseases for the same period. The number of publications on TB in the Region increased by 3.2 times during the period, from 534 in 2000–2004 to 1714 in 2015–2019, as compared with 2.9 times each for HIV, hepatitis and malaria. The number increased by 46% in 2005–2009, 79% in 2010–2014 and 23% in 2015–2019, as compared with each previous 5-year period. The average annual growth rate between 2000 and 2018 was 8.8%. China accounted for 34.8% of the total number of publications on TB in the Region. Increases in TB research were observed in most countries and areas in the Region, particularly in those with a high TB burden. The number of publications on TB remained low, however, in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mongolia and Pacific island countries. Countries are encouraged to implement the set of actions proposed in the Global Strategy for TB Research and Innovation to accelerate progress towards ending TB.

Epidemiology of tuberculosis in the Western Pacific Region: Progress towards the 2020 milestones of the End TB Strategy

@#Since 2015, the End TB Strategy and the Regional Framework for Action on Implementation of the End TB Strategy in the Western Pacific 2016–2020 have guided national tuberculosis (TB) responses in countries and areas of the Region. This paper provides an overview of the TB epidemiological situation in the Western Pacific Region and of progress towards the 2020 milestones of the Strategy. A descriptive analysis was conducted of TB surveillance and programme data reported to WHO and estimates of the TB burden generated by WHO for the period 2000–2018. An estimated 1.8 million people developed TB and 90 000 people died from it in the Region in 2018. Since 2015, the estimated TB incidence rate and the estimated number of TB deaths in the Region decreased by 3% and 10%, with annual reduction rates of 1.0% and 3.4%, respectively. With current efforts, the Region is unlikely to achieve the 2020 milestones and other targets of the Strategy. Major challenges include: (1) wide variation in the geographical distribution and rate of TB incidence among countries; (2) a substantial proportion (23%) of TB cases that remain unreached, undiagnosed or unreported; (3) insufficient coverage of drug susceptibility testing (51%) for bacteriologically confirmed cases and limited use of WHO-recommended rapid diagnostics (11 countries reported < 60% coverage); (4) suboptimal treatment outcomes of TB (60% of countries reported < 85% success), of TB/HIV co-infection (79%) and of multidrug- or rifampicin-resistant TB (59%); (5) limited coverage of TB preventive treatment among people living with HIV (39%) and child contacts (12%); and (6) substantial proportions (35–70%) of TB-affected families facing catastrophic costs. For the Region to stay on track to achieve the End TB Strategy targets, an accelerated multisectoral response to TB is required in every country.

Epidemiology of tuberculosis in Papua New Guinea: analysis of case notification and treatment-outcome data, 2008–2016

@#Papua New Guinea has strengthened its surveillance system for tuberculosis (TB) under the National TB Program. This paper provides an overview of TB surveillance data at the national and subnational levels from 2008 to 2016. TB case notification has consistently increased since 2008 with 6184 cases (93 per 100 000 population) in 2008 to 28 598 (359 per 100 000 population) in 2014 and has stabilized since 2014 with 28 244 cases (333 per 100 000 population) in 2016. The population-screening rate for TB rose from 0.1% in 2008 to 0.4% in 2016. Notified cases were dominated by extra-pulmonary TB (EP-TB, 42.4% of all cases in 2016). The proportion of pulmonary TB cases with no sputum test results was high with a national average of 26.6%. The regional variation of case notifications was significant: the Southern Region had the highest number and rate of notified TB cases. Of the nationally reported cases, 26.7% occurred in children. Treatment success rates remained low at 73% for bacteriologically confirmed TB and 64% for all forms of TB in 2016, far below the global target of 90%. For all forms of TB, 19% of patients were lost to follow-up from treatment. An analysis of TB data from the national surveillance system has highlighted critical areas for improvement. A low population-screening rate, a high proportion of pulmonary TB cases without sputum test results and a low treatment success rate suggest areas for improvement in the National TB Program. Our additional subnational analysis helps identify geographical and programmatic areas that need strengthening and should be further promoted to guide the programme’s direction in Papua New Guinea.