(Baonghean.vn) - This morning, March 20, at the Tuberculosis and Lung Disease Hospital, Nghe An Department of Health organized a launching ceremony to respond to the 2012 Tuberculosis Prevention Action Month.

The current situation of tuberculosis in our country is still considered a matter of concern: Vietnam is ranked 12th out of 22 countries with the highest number of tuberculosis patients in the world. Every year, Vietnam has nearly 200,000 new cases of tuberculosis and over 30,000 deaths due to tuberculosis; meanwhile, only nearly 60% of new cases of tuberculosis in the community have been detected and cured. The tuberculosis control program is facing many new challenges in managing multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, tuberculosis in people with HIV, tuberculosis in children and especially the shortage of human resources for tuberculosis prevention at all levels.

Art performance to raise public awareness about tuberculosis

In recent years, along with the investment attention of the state, funding from international organizations, especially the grassroots health system, has contributed to controlling the increase of tuberculosis. Nghe An province detects about 2,500 tuberculosis patients each year, of which the cure rate is over 90%.

"For a TB-free Vietnam" is the theme of the TB Prevention Action Month this year. The launching ceremony calls on the community to change their thinking and actions to make practical contributions to TB prevention; in which the participation of the political system at all levels plays an important role and the investment of the health sector and people's awareness of TB play a decisive role, striving for the goal of eliminating TB in our country by 2030.

Thanh Chung