Low cases of tuberculosis in Syria, report

A report by SANA on Friday disclosed the tuberculosis cases in Syria have dropped to 4, 708 cases in 2004 a low number due to the care paid to fight this infection, a medical expert said.

Syria celebrates next week the international day to fight Tuberculosis in cooperation with the International Health organization.

"The celebration will be to boost efforts in field of diagnosing the illness and cure sick persons as well to consolidate the international commitment to adopt the short-term policy of treatment and to put the infected persons under direct medical supervision," a doctor at a heath care center to fight Tuberculosis said.

He added that we would underline the need to fight this illness and to provide all kinds of help to citizens as well to point out to the media role and health education to surmount such infection.

The government run health centers in Damascus and other Syrian cities are receiving all patients and providing them with the needed help and cure freely in addition to some financial aid in case of bad living conditions to some of them.

Syria's population is about 20 million and it is rare to diagnose tuberculosis among Syrians due to the increased attentiveness and the free medical treatment by the government.