Nobody is safe from tuberculosis
By, eMaxHealth.com, September 28, 2007
“Many of us think ourselves safe from TB. This is a misconception that needs to be corrected.” This was one of the facts pointed out at a press briefing that took place today in Berlin, featuring experts from the WHO Regional Office for Europe and the German Federal Ministry of Health and a German TB patient who has been cured of the disease.
Andrea Virnich, who talked to the journalists today, fell ill with TB at the age of 30. For three years she was constantly ill. Several diseases were diagnosed, but Andrea did not respond to treatment. Then, finally, one of her doctors realized that the disease she had was TB. “TB was completely beyond my doctors’ perception. They simply couldn’t imagine that a young German woman like me could contract this illness,” she said. Andrea Virnich’s example shows that TB is a serious public health threat, both globally and on a local scale. The whole of Europe, including Germany, is vulnerable, and greater efforts and financial resources are needed to stop TB.
“TB poses a huge challenge to Europe, not only because of the significant number of new cases in the region but also because Europe has the highest rate of MDR-TB [multidrug-resistant TB] and XDR-TB [extensively drug-resistant TB],” explained Dr Risards Zaleskis, WHO Regional Adviser for TB Control at the Regional Office. “The problem with these forms of TB is that they barely respond to treatment.”
TB is far from being beaten. To ensure that TB is placed high on health agendas, and to boost financial commitments to improving its control, the Regional Office is organizing the Ministerial Forum “All Against Tuberculosis” in Berlin on 22 October 2007, hosted by the Government of Germany. The Forum will seek to:
* strengthen political commitment to implement the WHO Stop TB Strategy throughout the Region and include high quality tuberculosis control within the strengthening of health systems;
* strengthen commitment from all Member States to ensure full and appropriate financing of tuberculosis control, in line with World Health Assembly resolution WHA 58.14 on sustainable financing for tuberculosis prevention and control;
* adopt a European Regional Declaration on Tuberculosis; and
* endorse the Stop TB Partnership for Europe.
Source: http://www.emaxhealth.com/39/16543.html
“Many of us think ourselves safe from TB. This is a misconception that needs to be corrected.” This was one of the facts pointed out at a press briefing that took place today in Berlin, featuring experts from the WHO Regional Office for Europe and the German Federal Ministry of Health and a German TB patient who has been cured of the disease.
Andrea Virnich, who talked to the journalists today, fell ill with TB at the age of 30. For three years she was constantly ill. Several diseases were diagnosed, but Andrea did not respond to treatment. Then, finally, one of her doctors realized that the disease she had was TB. “TB was completely beyond my doctors’ perception. They simply couldn’t imagine that a young German woman like me could contract this illness,” she said. Andrea Virnich’s example shows that TB is a serious public health threat, both globally and on a local scale. The whole of Europe, including Germany, is vulnerable, and greater efforts and financial resources are needed to stop TB.
“TB poses a huge challenge to Europe, not only because of the significant number of new cases in the region but also because Europe has the highest rate of MDR-TB [multidrug-resistant TB] and XDR-TB [extensively drug-resistant TB],” explained Dr Risards Zaleskis, WHO Regional Adviser for TB Control at the Regional Office. “The problem with these forms of TB is that they barely respond to treatment.”
TB is far from being beaten. To ensure that TB is placed high on health agendas, and to boost financial commitments to improving its control, the Regional Office is organizing the Ministerial Forum “All Against Tuberculosis” in Berlin on 22 October 2007, hosted by the Government of Germany. The Forum will seek to:
* strengthen political commitment to implement the WHO Stop TB Strategy throughout the Region and include high quality tuberculosis control within the strengthening of health systems;
* strengthen commitment from all Member States to ensure full and appropriate financing of tuberculosis control, in line with World Health Assembly resolution WHA 58.14 on sustainable financing for tuberculosis prevention and control;
* adopt a European Regional Declaration on Tuberculosis; and
* endorse the Stop TB Partnership for Europe.
Source: http://www.emaxhealth.com/39/16543.html
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