TB patients number slashes by 5-7 percent in Armenia every year
20.03.2017,
17:38
The number of TB patients in Armenia is decreasing by 5-7% every year thanks to a government-designed plan of actions, Aram Hayrapetyan, the director of the National Center for Tuberculosis Control, said today.
YEREVAN, March 20. /ARKA/. The number of TB patients in Armenia is decreasing by 5-7% every year thanks to a government-designed plan of actions, Aram Hayrapetyan, the director of the National Center for Tuberculosis Control, said today.
Speaking at a news conference he said compared to 2007 the number of TB patients in 2016 actually halved, while the death rate fell by three times. Thus, in 2007 some 1,507 new TB cases were reported; in 2016 their number fell to 820. In 2007 some 175 people died of tuberculosis and 48 in 2016. Currently, 670-680 people are being treated for tuberculosis in Armenia.
He said TB patients in Armenia receive financial assistance from the government. In January 2017, the size of the benefit was doubled: those suffering from drug-sensitive tuberculosis receive 16,000 drams (about $33) a month and drug-resistant patients receive 26,000 drams ($53.8).
According to him, only those patients receive benefits who follow the doctor's prescriptions. Thus, the benefit helps to ensure that the course of treatment is complete.
According to health minister Levon Altunyan, the ministry organizes free medical check-ups across Armenia to reveal new cases of TB. According to WHO figures, in 2015, some 1.8 million people died from TB. Of them, 400,000 were co-infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that causes AIDS. -0-
Speaking at a news conference he said compared to 2007 the number of TB patients in 2016 actually halved, while the death rate fell by three times. Thus, in 2007 some 1,507 new TB cases were reported; in 2016 their number fell to 820. In 2007 some 175 people died of tuberculosis and 48 in 2016. Currently, 670-680 people are being treated for tuberculosis in Armenia.
He said TB patients in Armenia receive financial assistance from the government. In January 2017, the size of the benefit was doubled: those suffering from drug-sensitive tuberculosis receive 16,000 drams (about $33) a month and drug-resistant patients receive 26,000 drams ($53.8).
According to him, only those patients receive benefits who follow the doctor's prescriptions. Thus, the benefit helps to ensure that the course of treatment is complete.
According to health minister Levon Altunyan, the ministry organizes free medical check-ups across Armenia to reveal new cases of TB. According to WHO figures, in 2015, some 1.8 million people died from TB. Of them, 400,000 were co-infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that causes AIDS. -0-
