World TB Day: Harm Reduction to Reach Smokers in Asia

World TB Day is commemorated each year on March 24 to raise public awareness and understanding about the global tuberculosis epidemic and efforts to eliminate the disease. South-East Asia Region is home to around one-fourth of the world’s population, with more than 45% burden of annual TB incidence.

It has been more than a century since Dr. Robert Koch’s discovery, but TB is still a significant health problem around the globe, especially in developing countries. World TB Day is a valuable opportunity to raise public awareness and knowledge about tuberculosis to prevent and control it effectively and proactively.

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the leading causes of death worldwide and remains a severe public health burden in many low and middle-income countries. Today, approximately 1.3 billion people smoke tobacco, with most of them living in low- or middle-income countries, where the burden of TB is also very high.

Cigarette smoking damages the lungs and impacts the body’s immune system, making smokers more susceptible to TB infection. Despite evidence showing these harmful links between tobacco and TB, many people in Asia continue to smoke.

In a large epidemiological study, 50% of deaths from TB among Indian men were attributed to smoking. A South Korean study demonstrated that current cigarette smokers had a 40% increased risk of incident TB and were 55% more likely to die of TB as compared with nonsmokers.

Smoking cessation interventions and support programs, including tobacco harm reduction interventions, can be effective in lowering smoking rates in Asia, thus significantly reducing the susceptibility to TB infection.

Quitting smoking isn’t always easy, read more information on the journey of smoking cessation and technological advancements that could better the quality of life for those suffering from TB.