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Despite socioeconomic developments and public health efforts made over the years, tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the top infectious diseases in the world.
The remark was made by the Acting Director of Health, Dr Gloria Tam, at a ceremony today (March 23) marking the annual World TB Day.
Stressing that it would be incorrect to think that the disease was something of the past and had no local relevance, Dr Tam said about 6,000 new TB cases were reported annually. In recent years an average of 270 lives have been claimed a year by the disease.
Dr Tam said that nearly nine million new cases and more than 1.5 million deaths were reported worldwide each year.
She said the need to set March 24 each year to be the World TB Day was to arouse public awareness that TB remained an epidemic in much of the world today.
"While there may be growing interest in other infectious and chronic diseases for whatever reasons, I urge people not to lose sight of TB," she said.
Noting that the World Health Organisation had selected "I am stopping TB" as the slogan for World TB Day this year, Dr Tam said the slogan marked the start of a two-year campaign appealing for a concerted effort of people around the world to stop TB.
"The fact is that everyone can do something to stop TB, and every individual action counts," she said.
"Share stories, make a donation, be aware of the symptoms of TB and to consult advice from healthcare workers are some things people can do," Dr Tam said.
She thanked the Hong Kong Tuberculosis, Chest and Heart Diseases Association for its 60 years of magnificent anti-TB service.
Today's ceremony was organised jointly by Hong Kong Tuberculosis, Chest and Heart Diseases Association, the Department of Health and the Hospital Authority.
A series of promotional activities, exhibitions, dramas and educational activities are planned to communicate the anti-TB message.
More information on the disease is available from the Department of Health's Tuberculosis and Chest service hotline at 2572 6024.
People can also visit the website jointly developed by the department of Health and the Hospital Authority at http://www.info.gov.hk/tb_chest and the WHO website at http://www.who.int/gtb.
Ends/Sunday, March 23, 2008
Issued at HKT 12:33
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