The distribution of a new treatment for latent tuberculosis infection is now regular in Brazilian public hospitals

An informative note released by the Health Ministry recommends that the drugs should be widely used by the health services as a means of eliminating tuberculosis as a public health problem in Brazil. In 2021, 64 thousand cases were diagnosed in the country.

 

The treatment, which is composed of the drugs rifapentine associated with isoniazid, reduces the risk of developing tuberculosis in people who have had contact with the bacillus and helps interrupt the chain of transmission of the disease.

 

This new treatment is considered a great advance in the prevention and control of tuberculosis since it requires less time for the administration of the doses, a factor that can contribute to the adherence and completion of the treatment. And it is now fully available in Brazil.