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The Tuberculosis ( TB) Control Programme in Viet Nam has contributed to the nation's cause of eliminating the disease and is considered to be one of the most effective schemes in developing countries, concluded health officials participating in a five-day TB conference here.
The conference, ended on June 30, was held by Viet Nam's Ministry of Health in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO), the International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, the Royal Netherlands Tuberculosis Association (KNCV), and the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the United States.
The aim of the conference was to review the project to support anti-TB activity, funded by the Netherlands Ministry for Development Cooperation, and the 2001-05 TB control programme, in order to implement a blueprint for the new period, with two top priorities of reducing the TB fatality ratio by 50 percent and new TB infection cases by 50 percent.
Due to the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and resistance to TB drugs, Viet Nam has ranked 13th in the list of the world's 22 countries with a high incidence of TB. The Government of Viet Nam has described the anti-TB activity during the 2001-05 period as one of the 10 national targets necessary to control social diseases and dangerous pandemics.
The programme has so far helped diagnose, treat, care for and cure hundreds of thousands of TB patients in Viet Nam.
Vietnam Agency - (04/07/2006)
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