Cuba will be first to eradicate tuberculosis in Latin America
Campaign News | Friday, 18 March 2005
Already incidence of the disiease is lowest in continent
Havana, Mar 17: The head of Cuba"s National TB Control Programme, Maria Josefa Llanes, has said that Cuba will soon become first country in Latin America to eradicate tuberculosis.
The Public Health Ministry official said meeting the goal means cutting the incidence of the disease to below 5 cases per every 100,000 people, already attained in more than 100 municipalities throughout the country.
The current national rate of 6.6 per 100,000 achieved late in 2004, is already the lowest in the continent.
A three-step plan has been implemented: vaccinating newborns, keeping tight scrutiny of greater risk groups and keeping permanent tracking of patients and their contacts, added Llanes.
The World Health Organization calculates the annual death toll of TB is 1.8 million people worldwide.
http://www.plenglish.com/article.asp?ID=%7B8F9CC383-A015-475B-93D1-D20E4BA336A4%7D&language=EN
