YANGON, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- More than 130,000 people were infected with tuberculosis (TB) annually, standing one of the 22 countries in the world with most prevalence of the disease, the local Flower News reported Sunday.
According to a statistical report for 2009, of the new TB patients, 9.15 percent were found infected with both TB and HIV, and these patients are being treated in 2010.
Sufficient TB medicines are in stock to treat the 130,000 new TB patients, the authorities claimed.
Myanmar has been making efforts to combat TB since 1966 under a national program, targeting to remove TB out of health issue by 2050.
Under the program, 325 townships in the country have been covered, report said.
In order to expose more hidden TB patients, the health authorities have been cooperating with private clinics to offer free treatment to patients by adopting public-private-mix approach method.
Meanwhile, Myanmar has introduced two modern biosafety level-3 laboratories respectively in Yangon and Mandalay as part of its efforts in combating TB.
The introduction of the modern labs was made in cooperation with the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnosis, according to the Health Ministry.
Myanmar has also been applying DOTS treatment against TB at national level since 1997, receiving aid of anti-TB medicine under GDF program from 2002 to 2009.
It was disclosed that up to one million patients have been treated with GDF medicine.
Moreover, Myanmar is seeking new means to fight TB, one of Myanmar's three disease of priority concern, tasking to discover new drugs, diagnosis and vaccine through research to combat the deadly disease that is on the rise again.
The new means also covers the task of exposing persons suffering from TB, providing therapies with greater potency, promoting the anti-TB campaign with the cooperation of partners, fighting TB through primary healthcare and disseminating public health knowledge.
An annual report of the Health Ministry said the exposure rate of TB patients reached 94 percent and treatment success rate 85 percent.
However, the discovery rate has not met the target in southern Shan state, Chin state and some other townships, the ministry revealed, pointing out the need to step up hunting for TB patients in those regions and remote border and rural areas.
Source:Xinhua News
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