Over 130,000 people carry TB in Myanmar annually: report

Via Xinhua :

" YANGON, Aug. 1 : 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."