WALTHAM FOREST: TB at lowest in 12 years

The 2008-09 report, published by the Public Health Department at NHS Waltham Forest, examines the causes and consequences of poor health in the people of Waltham Forest.

It reveals that the rate of TB in Waltham Forest has fallen to below the rate for London for the first time since 1996.

At the launch of the report at the Epicentre, Wells Street, Leytonstone, director of public health for Waltham Forest, Dr Pui-Ling Li, said the results were “stunning” for the borough after the rates of infection had been rising for decades.

She said: “The rates have continued to go up so to have a downturn is tremendous considering how hard it is to control TB.”

The report shows that, in keeping with previous years, most cases of the infectious disease - which can be passed on in the air - are in the south of Waltham Forest where there are high levels of overcrowded housing and poverty.

Dr Li said: “We are working with Waltham Forest to combat overcrowded housing and trying to reduce it. We are also investing in NHS TB management to help trace carriers and treat them.”

The doctor said that primary care services are working hard to identify those at risk of TB, to try to stop them getting it, and to ensure people who have contracted it complete their drug treatment.

The rate of TB in the borough is now 41.8 per 100,000, the same as in 1998, however, Dr Li pointed out that it is still a big problem compared with other parts of the country.

The report also focuses on other major illnesses and underlying causes of poor health in Waltham Forest and acknowledges that factors such as unemployment, low income and poor housing can lead to negative health effects.

The creators of the report also predict that the economic downturn is likely to have an even more negative impact on borough residents’ health compared to other, wealthier parts of the country.

The report was Dr Li’s final one after six years before she leaves her post to work at NHS London.