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06 | Communicable Disease Control








                    Health Regulations Focal Point remains operational   Chapter 2  Prevention and Control
                    to facilitate reporting of cases and response to an         of Major / Emerging
                    important epidemic and public health emergency in           Communicable Diseases
                    normal times.
                                                                  Section 1 Tuberculosis
                  Section 2  Disease Surveillance and
                                                                      For the prevention strategies of tuberculosis,
                              Investigation Mechanisms            besides reinforcing the checkups of contacts and
                      Disease surveillance aims to quickly detect the   reported  cases,  the  MOHW  has  promoted  new
                  incidence of diseases and to establish a pattern of   diagnostic techniques and introduced new medicine
                  progression so policymakers can arrive at a sound   in order to shorten the tuberculosis diagnosis and
                  decision. Taiwan CDC has established a diverse   treatment period and raise the treatment coverage of
                  communicable disease surveillance system. The   latent tuberculosis infection. The outcomes achieved in
                  integration and analysis of surveillance data forms   2023 are as follow:
                  the empirical foundation that supports pandemic
                  prevention command and policy evaluation. The   1. It is estimated that there will be 6,584 new cases of
                  number of notifiable disease cases in 2023 is shown in   TB in 2023, with a projected national incidence rate
                  Appendix II.                                      of 28 cases per 100,000 population. Since 2005,
                      The goal of epidemiological investigations is   Taiwan has achieved a cumulative reduction of 62%
                  to immediately grasp the development of epidemics   in the TB incidence rate (Figure 6-2), indicating
                  as well as learn about modes of transmission and   the effectiveness of our prevention and control
                  sources. These processes aim to identify the cause   strategies.
                  of disease spread soon as possible and formulate   2. The Directly Observed Treatment Short Course (DOTs)
                  response strategies, in order to effectively prevent   program was implemented. In 2023, 7,079 individuals
                  epidemics from spreading. In 2023, there were 1,771   on anti-tuberculosis medication participated in this
                  suspected clusters.                               program, achieving a 99% implementation rate. The
                                                                    program effectively prevented the development of
                                                                    drug resistance or relapse.


                    Figure 6-2   Annual Tuberculosis Incidence Trends

                                                                                                Incidence Rate
                   New Cases
                                                                                        (per 100,000 population)
                   20,000  73                                                                           80
                                67                              New Cases      Incidence Rate
                   18,000
                                   63   62                                     (per 100,000 population)  70
                   16,000                  58  57
                                                    55  53                                              60
                   14,000                                   49  48
                                                                   46                                   50
                   12,000                                               44  41
                                                                                39  37
                   10,000                                                               33              40
                                                                                            30
                           16,472                                                               28  28
                    8,000      15,378
                                   14,480 14,265                                                        30
                                           13,336 13,237
                    6,000                          12,634 12,338  11,528 11,326
                                                                   10,711 10,328
                                                                           9,759                        20
                                                                               9,179  8,732
                    4,000                                                              7,823  7,062  6,576  6,584
                                                                                                        10
                    2,000
                       0                                                                                0
                           2005  2006  2007  2008  2009  2010  2011  2012  2013  2014  2015  2016  2017  2018  2019  2020  2021 2022  2023
                  Source: Taiwan Centers for Disease Control                                      Year


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