900,000 TB Cases Reported in China

In China in 2011, around 900,000 cases of tuberculosis were discovered and treated, says health ministry.

The cases included 423,000 infectious cases,

Xiao Donglou, a health inspector from the ministry, said China was now focusing on HIV-TB co-infections.

He said over 1,700 HIV-TB co-infections were reported last year.

China is also cooperating with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

Under another programme helped by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the time needed to diagnose a case of drug-resistant tuberculosis has been shortened from six to eight weeks to just six hours using state-of-the-art technology, the official said.

The government last year invested 165 million yuan (about $26 million) in upgradation of 35 tuberculosis hospitals.

Source: IANS