WHO calls for intensified campaign against TB in Asia-Pacific

Mar 23, 2009, 7:40 GMT

   Manila - The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday urged governments in Asia and the Pacific to boost their national health systems, which are vital in the fight against tuberculosis (TB), especially drug-resistant cases.

   The Manila-based WHO Western Pacific Office said that effective TB control has been hampered by weaknesses in national health systems, such as chronic staff shortages and inadequate financial resources.

   Shin Young-Soo, WHO regional director for the Western Pacific, also cited low access to quality care and flawed links between service providers in public and private sectors as other weaknesses that hinder the battle against tuberculosis.

   'Our available tools work, but they are not enough,' Shin said in a message on the eve of World Stop TB Day on Tuesday.

   'To progress, we must think bigger and look beyond DOTS (which refers to the prevailing treatment strategy for tuberculosis) to the actual settings in which TB programmes operate: national health systems,' he added.

   WHO said some 5,000 new tuberculosis infections occur everyday in the region, with some cases already becoming multidrug-resistant.

   'The risk of an epidemic of TB that does not respond to drugs compels countries to take action,' Shin said. 'We cannot tackle multidrug-resistant TB when most laboratories lack sufficient number of skilled technicians, as well as tools to identify cases.'

   WHO said that aside from providing training and better salaries to health staff, governments must also ensure that TB treatment is free of charge, noting that out-of-pocket expenses deter patients from seeking care.