THE rate of tuberculosis cases across the Bradford district is the highest in West Yorkshire and more than double the national average, a report has revealed.

Public Health England (PHE) and the NHS have identified 'hotspots' for the condition to inform their new £11.5million strategy designed to reduce and wipe out the disease in England over the next five years.

Bradford Council said it "welcomed" the new strategy, and would look to implement any recommendations that could help reduce TB across the district.

In 2013, the latest figures available, there were 7,290 reported cases of TB in England - a rate of 13.5 per 100,000 of population - including 395 across West Yorkshire.

Of those, 158 were within the Bradford district - the highest figure across the county - equating to a rate of 30 per 100,000 of population.

The next highest number of cases were 116 in Leeds, and 76 in Kirklees.

The new strategy identifies the highest concentration of TB cases in large cities such as London, Leicester, Birmingham, and Manchester - where rates are more than three times the national average - but mentions Bradford as an area with a "high caseload."

The report also states that more than 70 per cent of all TB cases occur in those born outside the UK, with the "vast majority" occurring among settled migrants who have been in the country for more than two years.

There is also said to be a "strong association" between TB and social deprivation, with 70 per cent of cases occurring among residents in the 40 per cent most deprived areas of the country.

The strategy includes a ten-point action plan to eradicate the disease, including earlier diagnosis, improved diagnostic and care services, a focus on tackling TB in under-served groups, and improved screening and treatment of new migrants for latent TB infection, in order to bring about a year-on-year reduction in cases.

The number of TB cases in Bradford has decreased from 173 in 2011, and 171 in 2012, although a Council spokesman said it was too early to tell whether the latest figure reflected the start of a true downward trend.

"A number of factors contribute to high TB rates, such as high levels of deprivation, poor housing, overcrowded living conditions, and poor nutrition," said the spokesman.

"In Bradford and Airedale, TB reflects a significant health inequality, with a strong link to deprivation and higher rates of homelessness, substance misuse, and migrant populations.

"Bradford Council welcomes the new national strategy, and will look to continue to work with local, regional, and national health partners in order to implement its recommendations, with the aim of reducing the rate of TB across the district."

In order to reduce rates of TB, the Council said it had already been working with PHE to pilot a screening programme for new entrants to the district from known high-risk countries.

Dr Stephen Morton, director of the Yorkshire and the Humber PHE Centre, said TB services across the region had already been reviewed, with a workshop with the NHS due to be held next month to monitor and continue the progress made.

"TB should be consigned to the past, and yet it is occurring in parts of our region at rates more than double the national rate for England," he said.

“This situation must be reversed, and we are already making TB a priority."

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