The national tuberculosis prevention and treatment programme aims toprovide 100 percent of TB patients with access to standard treatmentmethods this year.

The goal was highlighted at a March 9 conference reviewing the implementation of the programme over the past year.

The programme will also strive to reduce the incidence rate to 187per 100,000 people and the fatality rate from TB to below 18 per100,000.

In 2014, the national campaign wascarried out nationwide; through the programme over 102,000 patients werediscovered with a TB incidence rate of 111 per 100,000 people. Therecovery rate among new TB patients was 89.9 percent.

Speakingat the event, Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Thi Xuyen said according tothe World Health Organisation (WHO), tuberculosis remains the secondleading cause of death among infectious diseases.

Xuyen highlighted that Vietnam ranks 12th among 22 countries with a high tuberculosis burden.

TheDeputy Minister requested local authorities make tuberculosisprevention and treatment work a part of their socio-economic developmenttarget in 2015.

Specially, the national tuberculosis preventionand treatment campaign will be fortified and linked to anti-HIVprogrammes while expanding cooperation with public and private medicalunits, she added.

Event participants discussed models andachievements in the prevention and treatment of tuberculosis, such asdeveloping specific technical skills, encouraging public participation,and improving research competency.-VNA