Burden of Pulmonary Tuberculosis among Garments Workers in Dhaka City, Bangladesh

Background: Both economic and disease burden among risk groups especially garments workers would be immensely useful to the policy makers, planners and managers for taking corrective measures to ensure controlling TB... [ view full abstract ]

Background: Both economic and disease burden among risk groups especially garments workers would be immensely useful to the policy makers, planners and managers for taking corrective measures to ensure controlling TB (Pulmonary Tuberculosis) in Bangladesh.TB among the garments workers is a more alarming health issue than among the general population of Bangladesh. No study among the garment workers Bangladesh has been carried out yet regarding prevalence and burden of tuberculosis or other infectious respiratory diseases. The aim of the study was to estimate the prevalence and burden of tuberculosis among garments workers in Bangladesh.
Methods: A cross sectional survey was carried out along with cough test, X-ray and other necessary tests. The study was carried out among 5829 garment workers from selected 12 garments in Dhaka city, where 98% garments factories were situated.
Results: The results revealed that the prevalence of tuberculosis among the garment workers was found to be 0.3%. Moreover, by comparing the productivity related variables, the burden of TB in the garments sector had been estimated by following Cost Analysis. Both the TB cases and not TB cases had significant mean difference in years of working (TB=6.4 vs. Not TB=4.7), size of the working room (TB=6388.9 vs. Not TB=6824.9 sq. ft.), amount of saving (TB=7000.0 vs. Not TB=22091.0 BDT), number of working days loss due to sickness (TB=36.0 vs. Not TB=13.0 days) and loss of salary due to sickness (TB=3168.0 vs. Not TB=1301.0 BDT).
Conclusion: All these variables impose burden on national economy. This economic burden is huge in the garment sector due to productivity loss and employment of additional labours (excess labours). Improved and regular health check-up system and Directly Observed Treatment Short-course (DOTS) should be implemented in the working places particularly where clusters of workers are working together.