ONE PER CENT RISE IN TUBERCULOSIS CASES YEARLY

KUALA LUMPUR, March 16 (Bernama) -- Despite being a modern and progressive country, Malaysia has not been able to bring down the number of tuberculosis (TB) cases due to the lack of interest and awareness among the people, which contributed to the yearly increase of one per cent.

Institute of Respiratory Medicine (IPR) director Dr Abdul Razak
Muttalif said lack of awareness by the people on how serious the sickness, and how it could affect other people were among the reasons that made it difficult to control the disease despite it being a curable disease.

He said it was also normal for the institute to receive patients who were already in serious condition, despite it being a disease that could be cured by multiple antibiotics.

There were also instances whereby the prescriptions given to the patients were not followed by them and causing the spread of the disease, he told a press conference here today.

He said last year, 18,000 people were diagnosed with TB compared with 16,000 cases in 2009.

He said in a move to create more awareness on the disease, the institute in conjunction with TB Day, which falls on March 24, will be organising a national level celebration on March 28 at the institute in Jalan Pahang, here.

Dr Abdul Razak said the symptom of TB is prolonged cough, usually more than two weeks, weight and appetite loss, fever with night sweats and coughing out blood.

He advised those having the symptoms to go for health check-up as it would affect those around them too.