Ministry of Health distributes 7.8 million medicines to combat tuberculosis

This week, the Ministry of Health began distributing 7.8 million units of the 4-in-1 drug rifampicin throughout the country. This medicine, which is one of the main options for treating tuberculosis, is essential to help patients recover and control the disease.

The government’s action will guarantee the supply of the medicine to the entire health network until the first quarter of 2025.

In addition to fighting tuberculosis, rifampicin is also used to treat other diseases, such as leprosy, meningitis and brucellosis.

The government reinforces that the measure is a way of guaranteeing free and universal access to tuberculosis treatment in the Unified Health System (SUS), ensuring that everyone can receive the necessary medicine.

Tuberculosis treatment in Brazil is free and is carried out with a combination of four medications: rifampicin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide and ethambutol. Treatment lasts at least six months and is available throughout the public health network.

Rifampicin 4 in 1 combines four medications in a single tablet, facilitating treatment and increasing the chance of success, as the patient needs to take fewer medications. This also helps avoid problems such as drug resistance, which makes treatment more efficient.

When followed correctly until the end, the treatment cures tuberculosis. Monitoring by healthcare professionals is essential to ensure that the patient follows treatment appropriately.

One of the strategies adopted to improve treatment adherence is Directly Observed Treatment (DOT), where professionals monitor the patient while taking medications.

Tuberculosis is an infectious and contagious disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis, also called Koch’s bacillus. It mainly attacks the lungs, but can affect other organs. The main symptoms include persistent cough, high fever, night sweats and weight loss. When the disease affects organs other than the lungs, it is called extrapulmonary and is more common in people with HIV, especially those with a weakened immune system.

This content was originally published in Ministry of Health distributes 7.8 million medicines to combat tuberculosis on the CNN Brasil website.

Source: CNN Brasil

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