United Nation says spread of TB in PNG under-reported

THE World Health Organisation (WHO) in PNG says the spread of tuberculosis (TB) is under-reported and it is likely that more than the estimated 50% of its population is infected with the disease, Radio New Zealand International reports.
The Global Fund has agreed to give PNG US$20 million (K63 million) over the next five years to help in it its fight against TB.
The technical assistant for the WHO’s tuberculosis control programme Iraingo Moses said the five-year strategy would help monitoring and improve evaluation as most centres treated TB but don’t report it.
She said the strategy should also ensure quality diagnosis and regular drug supplies, helping with direct observation treatments and the Government’s commitment to placing medical resources in regional areas.
Ms Moses said the funding would expand WHO’s TB programme to parts of the country that weren’t being treated.
“This money should help us get our coverage up to around 80% of the population and help us to detect more than 70% of all new smear positive cases.
“It would also help us get our cure rate well above 85%,.” Ms Moses said. — PN

 

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