HEALTH MINISTRY TO SEEK $7 MILLION GRANT FOR TACKLING MALARIA AND TB

Armenpress

YEREVAN, JUNE 3, ARMENPRESS: Armenian health ministry said it is going
to ask later this month the Global Fund for Fighting AIDS, Malaria and
Tuberculosis for a $7 million grant to fight against tuberculosis and
malaria. Elizabeth Danielian, a senior official of the health ministry,
said the Fund had released already money for fighting AIDS.

Also this year the French charity Medicines Sans Frontiers is to
launch a three-year and $3.8 million worth program to fight against
tuberculosis in Armenia. It will be a pilot program and will be tested
in Yerevan only.

Doctors indicate the growing number of TB cases in Armenia, but say the
mortality cases have decreased. Officially 6,165 people are registered
with TB, last year alone 1,600 new cases were revealed. The number of
mortalities was 148, including a child. Mortality rate per 100,000
people was 4.6, a 6.2 percent decrease over 2003. In Armenia people
with TB are eligible to free medical treatment.