The authorities have begun testing students of Majeediyya School for Tuberculosis (TB) after one student tested positive for the infectious disease.

A spokesperson for the Education Ministry told Adhadhu that they were following the protocol of the Health Protection Agency (HPA).

The spokesperson said the ministry and the school were attending to the case on the advice of the HPA and testing students who came into contact with the TB positive student.

Although TB ​​is not common in Maldives, it is more common in prisons. The last TB case from a school was reported two years ago in Centre for Higher Secondary Education (CHSE).

The government now aims to eradicate the disease by next year.

TB or Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by a bacteria called Mycobacterium tuberculosis and it most often affects the lungs. However, TB can also affect other parts of the body such as the intestine, spine and bones.

TB is usually treated with antibiotics and can be fatal without treatment. A total of 1.3 million people died from TB in 2022.