World TB Day: Commemorative ceremony held in Nay Pyi Taw

The Ministry of Health organized the 2024 World TB Day ceremony in Nay Pyi Taw on Friday morning. Union Minister Dr. Thet Khaing Win attended the commemorative ceremony and made a speech.

During his speech, the Union Minister stressed that TB elimination activities are being carried out with the collaboration of the local and international affiliated organizations in accordance with the National Strategic Plan 2021-2025.

The required medicine are being purchased with the government fund since 2015-16 Fiscal Year. During 2023, 93% of the TB patients in Myanmar were undergone HIV tests.  Among 7,936 HIV positive TB patients, 76% of them received ART treatment.  He also called for the concerted efforts of the relevant officials and organizations in elimination of TB in line with this year theme for World TB Day, “Yes! We can End TB!

Then, the Union Minister and party toured the commemorative exhibition for World TB Day. Myanmar is among the 30 highest tuberculosis (TB) and TB/HIV burden countries in the world. According to WHO’s Global TB report (2023), it’s estimated that the incidence rate of new TB patient in Myanmar is 475 and the death rate is 80 per 100,000 population in 2022.

In 2023, over 120,000 patients were treated and the treatment success rate was 88%. Currently, the new treatment (BPaLM/ BPaL), which will take 6  or 9 months treatment period, is being practiced for the drug-resistant TB patients.