Public health is defined as a significant discipline that plays a vital role in protecting and promoting health among various individuals and populations in the local and global aspects. In addition, it is responsible for promoting a healthy form of lifestyle, conducting research on various diseases, and, most importantly, preventing injuries. Nonetheless, it also plays a crucial role in detecting and controlling various infectious diseases. Therefore, this paper will identify the name and contact information of the county health director and, most importantly, look at Tuberculosis control.
The name of the Texas City director or commissioner is Dr. John Hellerstedt, and his contact and personal information are +1 (512) 776-7376. On the other hand, the name of the Arlington Health Director is James A. Zoretic, and his personal contact information is +1 (817) 264-4500.
Tuberculosis (TB) is a complication or disease caused by the bacteria known as Mycobacterium TB that significantly affects the lungs. However, the illness is curable and preventable. In most scenarios, the condition only attacks the lungs. However, the tuberculosis microscopic organisms can also attack delicate areas of the body such as the kidney, spine region, and even in some cases, the brain section. Individuals infected with this type of disease have a probability of 5 to 10% lifetime risk of falling sick or being diagnosed with TB (Main et al., 2019). Nevertheless, people with compromised immune systems, such as individuals with chronic diseases, HIV, and those who smoke tobacco, have a higher probability of falling sick.
It is clear that ever since the first Surgeon Report on Tobacco was published in 1964, the implementation of evidence-based measures, interventions, and policies by the state, local authorities, and the federal government has played a significant role in eliminating tobacco use significantly. However, despite the measures to reduce and control smoking, most youths seem to have stalled over the past few years (Harling et al., 2017). This illustrated that despite the significant decline in the numbers of individuals smoking tobacco from 1997 to 2003, smoking rates among high school teenagers remained almost unchanged from 2003, 22%, to 2009, where it was 20%.
Nevertheless, TB control was achieved by advocating and implementing an effective infection plan linked with immediate detection of infectious patients and airborne precautionary measures. Most importantly, treatment of individuals suspected and confirmed to be suffering from TB to control and minimize the spread of this infection effectively. Furthermore, the relevant authorities, stakeholders, and health officials must identify the susceptible individuals and regions and develop appropriate policies and procedures (Malik et al., 2020). Finally, the implemented strategies have to be evaluated for effectiveness to determine the appropriate actions for minimizing the spread and transmission of this disease.
The TB infection mitigating plan should consist of administrative measures and techniques, environmental controls, and the effective use of respiratory protective equipment. Furthermore, individuals should often be screened for TB, tested, and treated. In addition, the health care personnel, patients, and citizens need to be educated and trained about TB and how it can be controlled and treated (Malik et al., 2020). Identifying regions with a higher risk of TB transmission was regarded as one of the significant measures that played a key role in controlling TB. Additionally, the implementation of smoking restrictions contributed significantly to ensuring that the number of individual smokers decreased substantially hence minimizing the risk of TB infection.
In conclusion, controlling TB needs collective efforts from all the relevant stakeholders. The illness is the number three cause of death, as half a million individuals die because of TB every year. Therefore, installing the necessary control measures is crucial to curb the constant loss of life. Moreover, good ventilation can be essential in preventing and controlling TB. Furthermore, good hygiene and covering the mouth can also reduce the disease’s spreading rate.
References
Harling, G., Neto, A. S. L., Sousa, G. S., Machado, M. M., & Castro, M. C. (2017). Determinants of tuberculosis transmission and treatment abandonment in Fortaleza, Brazil. BMC Public Health, 17(1), 1-10. Web.
Main, S., Lestari, T., Triasih, R., Chan, G., Davidson, L., Majumdar, S., Santoso, D. Phung, S., Lakkala, J., Graham, S., du Cros, P., & Ralph, A. (2019). Training for tuberculosis elimination in Indonesia: Achievements, reflections, and potential for impact. Tropical medicine and infectious disease, 4(3), 107. Web.
Malik, A. A., Safdar, N., Chandir, S., Khan, U., Khowaja, S., Riaz, N., Maniar, R., Jaswal, M., Khan, A., & Hussain, H. (2020). Tuberculosis control and care in the era of COVID-19. Health policy and planning, 35(8), 1130-1132. Web.