Campaign on World TB Day

BANGKOK, March 25 (TNA) - Alarmed by a sharp increase of patients suffering from the deadly tuberculosis in Thailand, the Rak Thai Foundation on Saturday cooperated with the Disease Control Department in launching a campaign to make people aware of the disease. The campaign was launched at Hua Lampong railway station to also observe the World TB Day which fell on Saturday and its opening was presided over Surachai Baochanya, assistant to public health minister. Surachai said during the opening ceremony of the campaign that about 94,000 new TB patients are found in Thailand annually while more than10,000 sufferers of the disease died. On worldwide basis, 1.8 million new patients of the disease are found yearly and 1.1 million died, he said. The widespread of AIDS and migration of workers are major factors attributed to the increase of new TB patients. TB patients are normally found at dense places such as prison and hospital. Hospital personnel could suffer from the disease easily and this include taxi and bus drivers. It is found that up to two per cent of total drivers suffer from TB. The best way to stay away from the disease is to exercise regularly, eat hygienic and healthy food, and undergo health checkup yearly. Deputy Director-General of Disease Control Department Dr. Somsak Akkasilp said about 30 per cent of Thai people are now found to have TB accumulated in the body. However, the disease will not affect persons who have strong immune, said Dr. Somsak. Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra also said on the occasion of the World TB Day that the Thai government fully realised on how to prevent the disease, on treating patients and on developing analysis. (TNA)