The new office bearers of SABATA Tawau, including Francis (seated, second left).
TAWAU: The Tuberculosis (TB) Control Centre of the general hospital here has handled 290 new TB cases so far this year, including 11 deaths due to the disease.
Of the cases 155 were categorised as positive reaction while 135 cases categorised as negative reaction cases, according to Sabah Anti Tuberculosis Association (Sabata) Tawau branch.
The TB Control Centre reported 500 new TB cases in 2012, the highest number of new cases compared to 424 cases in 2011 and 406 cases in 2010.
Under the positive reaction category, a total of 297 cases were reported in 2012 after 275 cases in 2011 and 258 cases in 2010.
In 2012, 203 cases were reported under the negative reaction category, followed by 149 cases in 2011 and 148 cases in 2010.
There were 39 cases of death due to the disease in 2012, following 17 deaths in 2011 and 14 deaths in 2010.
These statistics were revealed after the Tawau branch committee’s annual general meeting at a café here yesterday afternoon.
The meeting saw the election of Francis Clement as the chairman for 2013-2015 with Jessie Hiew Lee Voon as vice chairman, Hassan as secretary, Aimah as assistant secretary, Grace Wong Moi Ching as treasurer, and five committee members, namely Tay Ven Hau, Tai Kui Shim, Syadzulfikar, Sulaiman Mohammad, Chong Yuke Voon and Christy Chok Lee Lui. Chang Yee Vui will be their appointed external auditor.
Francis expressed his gratitude to the committee for showing confidence in him to lead the association and assured that he will lead it to greater heights.
SABATA Tawau is still relevant, he said, and he hoped the committee could work as a team and do their best to make the association a success.
Francis said, however, the number of TB patients is still increasing every day and since it is a dangerous infectious disease, HIV patients are also very vulnerable to TB infection.
Therefore, SABATA Tawau should play a vital role by conducting various TB awareness programmes, not only for rural residents but also for urban people.