The national tuberculosis prevention and treatment programme aims to provide 100 percent of TB patients with access to standard treatment methods this year.

The goal was highlighted at a March 9 conference reviewing the implementation of the programme over the past year.

The programme will also strive to reduce the incidence rate to 187 per 100,000 people and the fatality rate from TB to below 18 per 100,000.

In 2014, the national campaign was carried out nationwide; through the programme over 102,000 patients were discovered with a TB incidence rate of 111 per 100,000 people. The recovery rate among new TB patients was 89.9 percent.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Thi Xuyen said according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), tuberculosis remains the second leading cause of death among infectious diseases.

Xuyen highlighted that Vietnam ranks 12th among 22 countries with a high tuberculosis burden.

The Deputy Minister requested local authorities make tuberculosis prevention and treatment work a part of their socio-economic development target in 2015.

Specially, the national tuberculosis prevention and treatment campaign will be fortified and linked to anti-HIV programmes while expanding cooperation with public and private medical units, she added.

Event participants discussed models and achievements in the prevention and treatment of tuberculosis, such as developing specific technical skills, encouraging public participation, and improving research competency.-VNA