Vice Premier Stresses Combating of TB

Vice Premier Li Lanqing Stresses Combating of TB

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A top Chinese official stressed December 21 that governments at various levels should make work on controlling tuberculosis (TB) a major task for promoting the country's economic and social development.

Vice premier Li Lanqing made the remark at a national tele-conference on TB prevention. "As an infectious disease threatening human health, TB is one of the major diseases under strict control in China, as well as in other countries," said Li Lanqing.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has already announced that TB is an infectious disease under close control. Any failure to control tuberculosis will threaten the health and well-being of the citizens.

Li Lanqing said that Chinese medical professionals have made a remarkable contribution to the control of TB, and have discovered effective measures to prevent the disease.

However, China still faces challenges in TB prevention. Chinese TB patients account for one fourth of the world's total. The disease has also been restricting economic development in some areas in China, noted Li.

He asked leaders at different levels to put TB prevention into their economic and social development plan, increase input into TB prevention, establish a management system on TB, utilize hi-tech results into TB prevention, and extend active cooperation with international and non-governmental organizations.

WHO Director-General Gro Harlem Brundtland sent a letter to Li Lanqing, and praised the important role of the Chinese government in combating TB.