Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: http://www.dailymirror.lk/print/index.php/news/news/3647.html
SL?S GRAVE HEALTH HAZARD IS TUBERCULOSIS: DIRECTOR
Friday, 12 February 2010 23:54
Sri Lanka?s grave health hazard is neither Aids nor Dengue but Tuberculosis, the bacteria which has affected 40 to 42 percent of the population and everyone should rally round to control it, TB prevention project Director Dr. A.K. S. de Alwis said.
He was addressing a meeting on Thursday (11) at Hasara Hotel, Dadalla, Galle, to educate the Galle district public servants, community leaders and civil functionaries.
?The disease is particularly common among males between 15 and 55. It has the tendency to spread from places like schools where people congregate. Prison inmates are susceptible to it because of the congestion,? he added.
Nearly 17,000 people fall prey per year, he said. Of them about 10 or 15 persons contact the disease from one patient per year he pointed out. Dr. Alwis further stated that of the entire patient population in the world 35 percent live in South Asia and 20 percent in India thus increasing the risk to our country. Cough persistent over three weeks should be treated at a research centre. Negligence of treatment is fatal. Of the world population 80 lakhs suffer from the disease while the annual increase is about 20 lakhs he explained.
SL?S GRAVE HEALTH HAZARD IS TUBERCULOSIS: DIRECTOR
Friday, 12 February 2010 23:54
Sri Lanka?s grave health hazard is neither Aids nor Dengue but Tuberculosis, the bacteria which has affected 40 to 42 percent of the population and everyone should rally round to control it, TB prevention project Director Dr. A.K. S. de Alwis said.
He was addressing a meeting on Thursday (11) at Hasara Hotel, Dadalla, Galle, to educate the Galle district public servants, community leaders and civil functionaries.
?The disease is particularly common among males between 15 and 55. It has the tendency to spread from places like schools where people congregate. Prison inmates are susceptible to it because of the congestion,? he added.
Nearly 17,000 people fall prey per year, he said. Of them about 10 or 15 persons contact the disease from one patient per year he pointed out. Dr. Alwis further stated that of the entire patient population in the world 35 percent live in South Asia and 20 percent in India thus increasing the risk to our country. Cough persistent over three weeks should be treated at a research centre. Negligence of treatment is fatal. Of the world population 80 lakhs suffer from the disease while the annual increase is about 20 lakhs he explained.