Akhir 21, 1432 / March 26, 2011, SPA -- Mozambique's Minister of Health Alexandre Manguele has called for more action to tackle the growing problem of tuberculosis (TB). Mozambique is one of the 22 countries worst hit by the illness and the government has declared the disease a national emergency in an attempt to control the spread of the pandemic, Xinhua reported. Manguele told reporters in Maputo on Friday that tuberculosis, although a serious illness, is curable when diagnosed early and treated correctly. In Mozambique diagnosis and treatment is available in health centers free of charge. It is estimated that more than half of the Mozambicans infected with tuberculosis also have HIV/AIDS. The Minister pointed out that "there is a strong association between tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and poverty. These three public health problems represent a serious threat to the well-being of our people". Manguele added that to tackle this serious problem the ministry of health is adopting strategies to offer an integrated diagnostic and treatment service. One of these strategies consists of strengthening community involvement through using volunteers who are trained by his ministry to identify those suspected of having tuberculosis, take them to a health center for diagnosis and ensure that the treatment is started early and continues throughout the six months until the patient is cured. The slogan chosen for 2011 World Tuberculosis Day, "on the move against tuberculosis", is in direct response to the need to accelerate efforts to increase community participation and to boost research into rapid diagnostic tests and faster treatment regimens which are also effective against TB strains that are drug resistant. In Mozambique the number of TB cases continues to grow. During the period 2007 to 2010, the number of new infections per year grew from 38,044 to 46,174.
