Tuberculosis cases decreased in Syria

Damascus, SANA, The number of Tuberculosis cases in Syria has decreased in 2015 as compared to 2014, Health Minister Nizar Yazigi has said.

Minister Yazigi told SANA, in a statement on the World Tuberculosis (TB) Day, that the ministry has achieved good results in facing TB adopting procedures for taking care of the infected people throughout its specialized centers in different
provinces.

Tuberculosis, or TB, is an infectious bacterial disease, the symptoms of the active TB of the lung are coughing, sometimes with sputum or blood, chest pains, weakness, weight loss, fever and night sweats. Tuberculosis is treatable with a six- month course of antibiotics.

The cooperation with the partners contributed in decreasing the number of TB cases from 3576 in 2014 to 3134 in 2015, the minister said, affirming that the ministry continues providing TB treatment requirements and detecting the disease
free of charge at all its medical centers.

The World TB Day which is held each year on March 24 is intended to promote awareness, knowledge and motivation for action against tuberculosis worldwide.

TB was identified 132 years ago, after the discovery of the Koch’s bacillus. Even today TB remains an epidemic in much of the world despite the fact that effective cures have been made available for decades. This greatest killer of human beings in all history still at work despite many scientific breakthroughs and innovations.

WHO has called on countries and partners to “Unite to End Tuberculosis”. While there has been significant progress in the fight against TB, with 43 million lives saved since 2000, the battle is only half-won: over 4 000 people lose their lives each day to this leading infectious disease. Many of the communities that are most burdened by
tuberculosis are those that are poor, vulnerable and marginalized, WHO said.

Ending TB by 2030 is a target of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the goal of the WHO End TB Strategy.

Barry/ Ghossoun

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