Morocco hosts international TB-control conference

An international meeting will be held in Morocco this June 29 through July 1 to look into the progress made in the struggle against tuberculosis which kills annually around three million persons in the world.

The meeting's agenda also includes assessment of the strategies set up by developing countries in collaboration with the World Health Organization to contain the killer disease.Participants will review the efficiency of available anti-TB drugs and the success of DOTS strategy (Directly Observed Treatment Short Course).

The urgent technical and financial assistance needed by some developing countries in struggle against TB as well as the evolution of TB scientific research and the possibility of setting up a global TB control program will also be discussed during the encounter.

Morocco records annually 30,000 TB cases despite its sustained efforts launched since in 1996 to combat the disease.

The Moroccan health authorities said despite the high TB-cases percentage reported in the kingdom compared with neighboring countries, TB regresses annually by 5%. They also affirm that efforts will be carried on to eliminate the disease in the few coming years.

In line with the WHO recommendations, Morocco has set up a large network of TB-detection labs and centers which helped to identify and treat on time several early cases.