Mr. Speaker, the TB rates in the Northwest Territories are declining. Over the last ten years in the Northwest Territories we have seen a yearly average of about ten TB cases. In the last two years, we've actually seen lower numbers than that, four or five. Regardless, we are focused on having no TB here, in the Northwest Territories, and we've got to do that by ensuring that a hundred per cent of the people diagnosed with TB are cured. Identifying and treating those who are infected but don't have symptoms, often referred to as latent TB, is necessary to continue to reduce rates here, in the Northwest Territories. The Department does have resources for TB surveillance and screening that are targeted at high-risk groups and includes efforts to identify and treat those with latent TB. Our community healthy living fairs are one of our tools that we're using. It's an attempt at bringing health and wellness promotion to the smallest communities. They do talk about TB during those events. These are a valuable opportunity to do just that, to talk about TB, encourage people to get screened. If they are screened, then we can take the next steps to treat. So there are a number of different things we're doing. If somebody is diagnosed or identified with TB, we do contact screening with them. We talk, have a conversation with them, figure out who they've been in touch with, and we follow up with every one of those individuals in order to confirm and test to make sure that they don't have latent TB and they haven't been exposed.
Glen Abernethy on Question 172-18(2): Tuberculosis Programs
In the Legislative Assembly on June 6th, 2016. See this statement in context.
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