Hanoi (VNA) - Hanoi’s tuberculosis (TB) prevention programme was effectively implementedin all communes and wards in 2020, benefiting all the population of the capitalcity.

In the first nine months, 16,046 local people suspected of suffering from TB wereexamined, with 1,156 testing positive.

The programme helped detect and treat 2,821 TB cases of all types.

The management and treatment of TB patients has seen satisfactory results, with1,233 people cured out of 1,289 TB AFB (acid fastbacilli) (+) cases, or 95.6 percent.

There were 184 out of 201 TB AFB (+) patients with bacteriological evidence whorecovered from the disease, or 91.6 percent.

Hanoi has realised the goals set in the National Strategy for TBPrevention and Control by 2020 with a vision towards 2030, with 80 percent of new casesof AFB (+) being detected and 92 percent of detected patients recovering fromthe disease.

The positive results are attributed to Hanoi’s extensive anti-TB network in alldistricts, communes, wards and towns, and the application of modern techniquesto quickly and effectively treat diagnosed cases.

Attention has also been paid to promoting communications to raise public awarenessabout the dangers of TB.

TB remains the leading cause of death in theworld, resulting in nearly 2 million fatalities every year, with drug-resistantTB threatening global health. In Vietnam, the World Health Organisation (WHO)estimates that there are nearly 130,000 new cases of TB diagnosed each year,resulting in some 16,000 deaths in the country in 2015.

Vietnam is 16th among 30 countries with thehighest number of TB patients in the world, and is 13th among 30 countries facingthe burden of multi drug-resistant TB.

The country is leading, however, in TBprevention efforts. The rate of successful treatment of multi drug-resistant TBis over 70 percent; much higher than the global average of 54 percent.

Thanks to early detection and treatment,TB-related deaths fell by 3,000 during 2015-2016. Vietnam has set a target of cuttingthe number of TB infections by 30 percent and fatalities by 40 percent during2015-2020./.