Fight against TB needs active engagement of all people: expert

Hanoi (VNA) – A lung expert has called for more active public participation in tuberculosis (TB) prevention and control to eradicate the disease from Vietnam by 2030.

The appeal was made by Director of the National Lung Hospital and Chairman of the Vietnam Lung Association Nguyen Viet Nhung at a press meeting on March 19 ahead of the World TB Day (March 24).

He noted that TB is a communicable but curable disease, adding that if the TB fight receives due attention and involves all-level authorities, sectors and the whole community, the goal of eradicating TB by 2030 is completely achievable.

In Vietnam, up to 174,000 people are infected with TB bacteria and 13,000 die of the disease each year. More than 100,000 TB patients are diagnosed and sent for treatment annually.

This means the rate of detected and reported patients is just 57 percent, Nhung said.

He added that the recovery rate is high – more than 90 percent of new patients, 75 percent of multidrug-resistant TB patients using long-term treatment regimens, and 80 percent of multidrug-resistant TB patients using short-term treatment regimens.

Around the globe, the recovery rate is 85 percent among new patients and 56 percent among multidrug-resistant TB patients.

New technologies, drugs and treatment approaches from around the world have been applied in Vietnam and proved highly effective, even for multidrug-resistant TB and super extensively multidrug-resistant TB patients, according to the expert.

In response to this year’s World TB Day, due to the complex developments of the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Lung Hospital and the Vietnam Lung Association decided to organise a teleconference on the issue with authorities of all the 63 provincial-level localities and international organisations.

Youth and women’s unions to combat TB will also be set up with a view to equipping 10 million young people, 20 million women and all primary students with knowledge and skills about TB prevention and control. Besides, a text message campaign will also be launched to call for donations to support a fund for TB patients./.