"Approximately two-thirds of tuberculosis patients in Azerbaijan are men, and one-third are women."
These words were noted by İradə Axundova, the director of the Scientific Research Institute of Pulmonary Diseases of the Ministry of Health, in her statement.
It is interesting to know, what are the reasons for this indicator?
Since tuberculosis mostly affects the lungs, the first thought is that more men are smokers. But is that the only reason? What are the hidden sides of the problem?
According to Medianews.az, Bizim.Media sought the opinions of pulmonologist Əsəd Beydullayev on the topic.
He stated that although there is no full explanation for the higher number of male tuberculosis patients, certain factors influence this:
"Tuberculosis is an infectious contagious disease transmitted from person to person through airborne droplets. Men also spend more time outdoors and have frequent close contact with people. Therefore, the number of men infected with tuberculosis is higher."
"Water pipes (hookahs) can cause tuberculosis..."
According to the doctor, tuberculosis does not only occur through infection but is also related to a person's weakened immune system:
"It affects all organs, primarily the lungs. Smoking is one of the factors that seriously weakens lung immunity. Also, water pipes used recently are one of the causes that can create tuberculosis. Although the mouthpiece changes, the pipe remains the same. The disease can be transmitted through that pipe."
Let us consider that the majority of workers in construction, mining, and industrial sectors are men. Does this affect their risk of contracting tuberculosis?
Our interviewee confirmed this and said that frequent exposure to dusty places and contact with chemical gases weakens the lungs:
"Working in construction, mining, hard physical labor, poor nutrition, and smoking addiction can cause tuberculosis infection."
At the end, Əsəd Beydullayev warned citizens and called on them to be careful:
"If there are people close to you who have lost weight, have a persistent cough, sweat at night, and have a fever, suspicion of tuberculosis arises. They should urgently be shown to a lung specialist and receive treatment according to the diagnosis."
It should be noted that according to İradə Axundova, the director of the Scientific Research Institute of Pulmonary Diseases of the Ministry of Health, the number of children contracting tuberculosis in Azerbaijan is decreasing. For instance, in 2024, there were 278 child tuberculosis patients, whereas in 2025, this number was 198.