Uijeongbu City "Free Tuberculosis Screening for Seniors Aged 65 and Over"

Promotional material for Uijeongbu City's 'Free Tuberculosis Screening for Seniors Aged 65 and Over.'

The Uijeongbu City Public Health Center in Gyeonggi Province (Director Jang Yeon-guk) announced on the 24th that it will intensively promote the "annual free tuberculosis screening for seniors aged 65 and over" starting in October.

Last year, the total number of tuberculosis patients in South Korea was 19,540, a 41.0% (843 patients) decrease compared to 20,383 in 2022. However, the number of tuberculosis patients aged 65 and over was 11,309, a 0.1% (11 patients) increase compared to 11,298 in 2022, and the proportion of elderly patients among all patients has been increasing every year.

Accordingly, the city health center will focus on promoting the importance of tuberculosis screening for those aged 65 and over from October to December. They plan to encourage many seniors to visit the health center by using posters and outdoor advertisements.

Director Jang Yeon-guk said, "It is important for elderly people with weakened immunity to undergo regular tuberculosis screenings even if they have no symptoms," and added, "If you have symptoms such as a cough lasting more than two weeks, sputum, or weight loss, please be sure to visit the health center or a medical institution for tuberculosis screening."

For inquiries about the free tuberculosis screening, you can call the tuberculosis office at the city health center for detailed information.