EVERY THIRD PERSON IS VIRUS CARRIER

A1+
[02:57 pm] 15 December, 2008

Everyone down with tuberculosis annually contaminates 10-15
people. Numerous people suffer from tuberculosis in Armenia today
but they avoid undergoing a course of treatment and simply suffice
with in-home treatment.

Hundreds of people have died of tuberculosis over the last years. The
number of virus carriers in Armenia was 6445 (167 deaths) in 2005,
5673 (153 deaths) in 2006 and 3867 (175 deaths) in 2007.

"Pharmacists are forbidden to give instructions or prescribe medicine
to carriers of the TB bacteria as it can have dramatic circumstances"
Spokesman for the RoA Ministry of Healthcare Ruslanna Gevorgyan said
during a December 13-14 seminar in Tsakhkadzor.

"After using medicine for a month or two a patient thinks he is
getting better. In fact, they need long-lasting and serious treatment.

The Ministry of Healthcare, the Armenian Office for the fight against
tuberculosis and "Healthy and Harmonious Family" NGO organised a
seminar for journalists on December 13-14 to raise public awareness
of TB.

Over one third of the world population is virus-positive persons. The
illness shows up when the person’s immune system is upset. People
mostly get infected through droplets. That’s why virus carrier are
usually isolated and given free in-patient treatment in Armenia.

The fight against TB is realised within the framework of DOTS policy
which aims to detect and treat tuberculosis carriers. This is not
an easy task. In Armenia tuberculosis is mostly spread in the army
and prisons.

Infected servicemen are immediately discharged from military service,
and prisoners undergo treatment in a special hospital in Yerevan.

All organisations fighting against tuberculosis unanimously noted that
the best way to resist the illness is to go to a doctor in time. The
more patients are isolated and treated, the healthier the society
will be.