Here is the presentation given by Karen Slama in Cape Town during the 38th World Conference on Lung Health organized by the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease.
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CAPE TOWN (AFP) — Smoking may be responsible for up to a fifth of tuberculosis (TB) infections and deaths world-wide, according to research presented at a global lung health conference in Cape Town on Friday.
"Probably more than 20 percent of the global TB burden may be attributable to smoking," researcher Karen Slama told journalists on the sidelines of the gathering arranged by the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease.
"Smoking may increase the risk by about 20 percent of either getting infected, getting the disease, or dying."
Slama, head of operational research at the union's tobacco control
department, said three separate reviews this year of research into
tobacco use and TB infection, yielded "sufficient evidence" of a link.
"The evidence is mounting and coherent. Even a small effect would
create a large and cumulative increase in infection, disease and death.
This is very important information and now we have it," she said.
The research also found a significant link between passive smoking and TB infection.
"Among people infected with TB, effective tobacco control can lower the number of people that go from (latent) infection to disease ... to death," said Slama.
"Tobacco control can also reduce the pool of people that have TB. You can save millions of dollars in TB treatment costs."
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