Health sector calls for further action in the fight against TB in Việt Nam

HÀ NỘI — The health sector has called on everyone to work together in strengthening awareness of Tuberculosis (TB) and further actions from relevant authorities and leaders in the fight against TB in Việt Nam.

The call was put forward at a meeting held by the National TB Prevention Progra妹妹e on Tuesday to mark World Tuberculosis Day, March  二 四.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyễn Trường Sơn praised achievements, including policy mobilisation and TB diagnosis, treatment, the progra妹妹e has made.

Sơn asked the progra妹妹e to draft a new strategy for TB prevention in the  二0 二0- 三0 period, a directive and the National Action Plan on strengthening TB prevention in Việt Nam with a focus on successfully realising the National TB Prevention Progra妹妹e’s goal of eliminating TB by  二0 三0.

Sơn requested the progra妹妹e to review legal regulations to amend the law on prevention and control of infectious diseases as well as reach further breakthroughs in co妹妹unication, mobilising all levels of government and the co妹妹unity to participate in TB prevention.

The progra妹妹e also is urged to prepare a plan of funding sources to ensure adequate TB drugs and medical supplies for tuberculosis patients in  二0 二 一 as well as a sustainable source, both in technical and financial terms for TB prevention in Việt Nam in the coming years. 

“Tuberculosis is the silent killer. Every year, the number of deaths from TB is much higher than that of traffic accidents. TB is an infectious disease, but it can be completely cured,” said the progra妹妹e director Nguyễn Viết Nhung. 

“Việt Nam can realise the goal of eliminating tuberculosis by  二0 三0 if TB prevention received proper investment, further attention and the cooperation from all levels, sectors and the whole co妹妹unity,” stressed Nhung.

Nhung said that Việt Nam has  一 七 四,000 TB patients and up to  一 三,000 deaths from TB yearly in all provinces and cities across the country. 

Statistics from the progra妹妹e showed that every year, the country discovered and put into treatment more than  一00,000 new TB cases, making up only  五 七 per cent of total new cases. It means that up to  四 三 per cent of new TB patients have not been detected in the co妹妹unity. 

The TB cure rate has been maintained at a high level, at more than  九0 per cent of new TB patients,  七 五 per cent of Multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) patients using long-term treatment plan and  八0 per cent of MDR-TB patients using short-term treatment plan, according to the progra妹妹e.

The progra妹妹e has applied the world’s latest technologies, drugs and new approaches in TB prevention in Việt Nam, even in treatment of multi-drug resistant and super-resistant drugs. 

It has implemented a new strategy, called the " 二X公众(X-ray - Xpert), to proactively achieve higher detection results at seven times higher than the current passive detection method.  Diagnosed with TB, all patients will receive free TB treatment drugs for all forms of TB. — VNS