Tuberculosis prevention project launched in VN

HẢI PHÒNG — A tuberculosis prevention project was launched in the port city of Hải Phòng by the city’s Department of Health yesterday.

Aiming to limit the incidence of tuberculosis in the country to two in every 100,000 persons by 2025, the project, entitled "Zero TB" (ZTB), will implement a comprehensive model of care for tuberculosis patients in the three cities with the highest, average and lowest incidence of tuberculosis in the country.

They are HCM City (164/100,000), Hải Phòng (101/100,000) and Hội An (68/100,000), respectively, according to Dr Lê Văn Hợi, deputy director of the National Lung Hospital.

The project will intensify the screening for people who make direct contact with tuberculosis patients, improving the social workers’ capability and the quality of the diagnosis processes, as well as minimising the risks of recurrence, and expanding the collaboration with the National Tuberculosis Control Programme.

Within the period between 2005 and 2015, Việt Nam was one of the few countries that was able to reduce the incidence of tuberculosis and deaths to below 50 per cent of the total population. — VNS