The WHO’s New Tuberculosis Handbook
Tuberculosis, to this day, is still a major medical concern. It can affect anyone, and yes, while we do have a cure in this day and age, prevention is still a priority. There are too many factors for it not to be. Apart from medical facilities, there are many places that have a high risk of TB transmission. Or the fact that certain populations of people that are more susceptible to TB infection. The current goal when it comes to TB, like anything of this nature, is to stop transmission entirely. The way to do this is to break the chain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis spread through rapid identification of infected individuals, prompt treatments of said people, and prevention of the spread from those individuals to others. While it may seem too steep of a goal, with the right protocols put into practice, this can be done.
And there’s new things being thought up constantly for this situation. For example, the recent move by the World Health Organization. They recently published a new operational handbook with new protocols to help reduce the spread of TB in different ways.
The News
TB still continues to be a major threat, cure or not. It’s still one of the leading causes of death from a single infectious microorganism. While we try and fight it as we might, there are still factors that limit the fight we can put up in some places. But that doesn’t mean we’ve given up. In fact, in these past few decades, the effort against TB has actually noticeably increased. Even with that, though, there are places that make it harder to mitigate the spread. Places with both a high TB burden and a constraint on resources. And that’s not counting the potential people in that area that have a higher susceptibility to it. People living with diseases like HIV, children, healthcare workers and people in congregate settings are all vulnerable populations.
So the WHO took it upon themselves to create a more enhanced way to go about stopping the spread with this new handbook.
In August of 2023, the World Health Organization published a new operational handbook on TB infection prevention and control. The book focuses on facilitating country adaptation and implementation of infection control measures to stop the spread of TB. This 99-page, free-to-download handbook provides practical advice that compliments their evidence-based guidelines on how to properly go about this. It includes the best practices from countries worldwide. It also provides checklists and job aids to further support the implementation of protective administrative, environmental and respiratory measures.
The handbook provides guidance in a multitude of different ways from the get-go. Starting with a list of definitions for terms used throughout the handbook to better familiarize yourself with the subject matter and provide a better understanding when you come across said terms. Followed by an introduction to that encapsulates the important points that this handbook helps with. Such as the objective, target audience, core principals of infection control and prevention, recommendations and more. Once the handbook gets going, it’s divided into sections based on subjects like:
- Administrative Controls
- Environmental controls
- Respiratory Protection
- TB Infection Prevention and Control in Special Situations
- Monitoring and Evaluation
- Data Elements to Monitor TB IPC Practices
- Risk Assessment Tools
- Healthcare Screening Material
- Sample Posters for Health Education
- Help for Choosing the Right Tools
- Checklist for Implementation Reviews
- and Various Country Examples
This handbook is extensive, and provides a comprehensive list of measures to implement into your practice day to day to stop the spread of TB. Through different control measures, examples from other places, checklists and different aids for implementation monitoring, help with selecting the proper tools, the works. And if you want this handbook for yourself, you can download it from the World Health Organization website here.
But for those who are looking for a good place to start for their practice to help eliminate TB bacteria, we’ve got a solution in the form of a surface disinfectant wipe that has everything you need.
The Optim1 Solution
Tuberculosis bacteria can seem like a tough opponent in the fight against the spread of disease. But Optim1 wipes are cleared to eliminate over 30 different kinds of pathogens and viruses, including Tuberculosis.
Optim1 wipes are intermediate-level disinfection wipes. Able to tackle the toughest of unwelcome pathogens on any contact surface. Optim1 can not only take on TB virus and bacterial pathogens in just 1 minute. But they can take on enveloped and non-enveloped viruses, as well as fungi, in half that time. A whopping 30 seconds. And the active ingredient, Hydrogen Peroxide, leads to only needing half the wipes to keep your surfaces wet long enough for prime disinfection time. And they’re eco-friendly to boot. Optim1 truly has the user in mind. Other benefits of Optim1 include:
- Removes organic debris while disinfecting, saving you time and money.
- Fast Broad-Spectrum Disinfectant
- 1 minute contact time ensures compliance, saving you time and money
- In the lowest EPA toxicity category, category IV
- No GHS hazard pictograms, signal words or statements required
- No VOCs (volatile organic compounds)
- Active ingredient, Hydrogen Peroxide, breaks down into water and oxygen
- No active residues reduce environmental impact
- ½ as many wipes as the leading competitor are needed to keep your surface wet long enough to achieve disinfection
If Optim1 wipes can help you, we sell them on our website available here for you.
Final Thoughts
Despite efforts that have shown significant results, Tuberculosis is still a huge threat that looms over the world. But that just means that every act performed to fight back is vital. And the World Health Organization knows. Their handbook is an excellent resource that will prove to be a valuable asset to medical practices and healthcare institutions the world over. Filled with valuable information using examples from other countries and evidence-based practices to fight back effectively. It represents the culmination of a great deal of effort on the part of many organizations. So there’s never been a better time to help decrease the spread, especially when it’s free to download from their website at any time.
If you need a good place to start in your practice, Optim1 has you covered. With their Optim1 wipes, you get complete eradication of TB bacteria within just a minute. With their increased effectiveness and surface coverage in half the wipes mixed with their eco-friendly nature, these wipes have the user in mind. As well as a slew of other benefits that speak for themselves. If you’d like to introduce Optim1 wipes into your practice, you can find them here. And if you have any questions, please give us a call at 704-966-1650, or you can find us, and our various programs, using the links below.
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