Wednesday, February 5, 2025
2/5/2025
Tuberculosis continues to be a health problem in Houston, Texas. Houston reported 155 cases in 2022. The goal of the Houston TB Bureau is to reduce morbidity and mortality caused by TB each year by the end of the project period, prevent transmission of M. TB from persons with infectious disease and prevent persons from progressing from latent TB (LTBI) to TB disease. A total of 148 cases, or 95.5%, of the 155 TB cases reported in Houston during 2022 demonstrated one or more of the following characteristics: foreign-born, homeless, AIDS, immigrant or refugee, U.S. born minority, drug resistance and substance abuse. We have many sections that support the efforts to provide services to these populations, including nursing, directly observed therapy (DOT), contact investigation, African American Project, and case registry. These efforts have proven effective at decreasing the TB morbidity in the greater-Houston area. During the next five years, the Bureau will continue to work to achieve objectives such as to improve treatment completion of TB cases and latent TB infection, provide thorough contact investigations, provide supportive laboratory services, ensure that a proper TB regimen is prescribed, and improve general TB services for the jails, immigrants and refugees, and homeless populations. TB education will be provided on a regular basis to all TB patients and high-risk individuals to promote understanding of the importance of treatment completion. Execution of these efforts will contribute to the elimination of tuberculosis in the City of Houston.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).