World Day for Combating Tuberculosis

A world without tuberculosis, is the appeal which will be launched today, World Day for Combating this disease.

March 24 marks the day when, in 1882, Robert Koch officially informed international scientific community has discovered that TB bacillus.

The representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) for Romania Victor Olsavszky says that 15 of the 27 countries in the world who have problems in tuberculosis is the WHO European Region which consists of 53 states.

"We have some positive things. Decreased incidence, which is good overall with 2.9% in 2010 compared to 2009. Problem is instead that increased multi-drug resistant tuberculosis, one that does not respond to at least two of treatments" said Victor Olsavszky.

Experts point out this year on the growing impact that tuberculosis has in the world on children.

"In 2010 it was reported a total of 10,000 cases of children under 15 years. Moreover, these cases among children, representing more than 5% of all tuberculosis cases in 20 countries and in 10 countries, half of number of cases in children occurred in children under five years, “ said WHO representative for Romania.

The success rate for treatment that experts in Europe proposed as a target is 75 per cent.

U.S. Embassy announced in a statement that it marked the World Day of Fight Against Tuberculosis during this week through a series of public information programs.

Embassy officials have discussed this issue with students from high schools in Bucharest, Prahova, Dambovita and Giurgiu and distributed personal care packages for patients at the "MariusNasta Institute ", Bucharest.

Translated by Denisse-Meda Bucura
MTTLC, Bucharest University