Source: Xinhua
03-25-2009 09:00
Special Report: Tech MaxMANILA, March 23 (Xinhua) -- With 5,000 daily infections in the Western Pacific, the regional office of the World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday urged governments to strengthen their national health systems to prevent the further spread of tuberculosis (TB), especially in the wake of multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB).
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| WHO: 5,000 TB cases occur in Western Pacific every day (File photo) |
In a press release, the WHO said effective TB control has been hampered by weaknesses in health systems, such as chronic staff shortages, inadequate financial resources, poor laboratory capacity, low access to quality care, and flawed links between service providers in the public and private sectors.
WHO said the TB situation in the Western Pacific region is complicated by the spread of multidrug-resistant TB, the patients of which are resistant to at least two of the best anti-TB drugs. It also takes much longer to treat, sometimes as long as two years, and is more expensive than treating ordinary TB.
The treatment also causes more severe side-effects, such as liver malfunction and severe gastrointestinal problems, the organization added.
"The risk of an epidemic of TB that does not respond to drugs compels countries to take action," Dr Shin Young-Soo, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific said. "We cannot tackle multidrug-resistant TB when most laboratories lack sufficient number of skilled technicians, as well as the tools to identify cases."
WHO stressed that a competent and motivated workforce is fundamental to the success of TB control programs.
Governments also need to ensure that TB treatment is free of charge, WHO said, because out-of-pocket expenses deter patients from seeking care.
It said the World Stop TB Day 2009, which falls on March 24, will focus on the delivery of TB care through strong health systems.
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Editor:Yang Jie
