Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Cambodia releases 5-year plan for TB control - [No cure in sight yet for corruption and other Cambodian social ailment TBs]

August 23, 2006

Cambodia's National Center for Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control (NCTLC) released its five-year strategic plan for tuberculosis (TB) control for 2006 to 2010 recently, Development Weekly received on Wednesday reported.

Secretary of State of Health Mam Bunheng said the main objectives and goals of the national program for TB control are to promote general public health so as to contribute to social and economic development and poverty reduction through reducing TB- induced infections and deaths.

He added that the main objectives of the medium-term program are to ensure equity and access to quality TB treatments and to attain a rate of total TB recovery of more than 85 percent and at least a 70 percent rate of recovery for lung-related TB diagnosed between 2006 and 2010.

Regarding activities to control TB and AIDS, the program has two goals: by the end of 2010, 80 percent of TB patients will have been tested for HIV and over 90 percent of TB-AIDS patients who are qualified to receive anti-retroviral (ARV) medication will have received treatment.

Cambodia is among the worst affected countries in the world for TB infection. Current intensity rates for all forms of TB are estimated at 510 persons per 100,000. The death rate runs to 94 cases per 100,000 people. The prevalence of AIDS in TB patients increased from 2.5 percent in 1995 to 12 percent in 2003, dropping slightly to 10 percent in 2005.

Source: Xinhua

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

TB is the disease of the poor!