Brussels, 16/10/2006 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 10 October, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), WHO, the Red Cross and the Red Crescent and some 20 other organisations launched an appeal to the governments of the European Union to strengthen their fight against multi-drug resistant tuberculosis. The call follows an alarming rise in the number of cases of multi-drug resistant TB on the very doorstep of the EU. Every year around 450,000 people contract TB in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, resulting in death for nearly 70,000 people. Studies in Latvia have shown that 18% of the cases of multi-drug resistant TB are caused by an extremely resistant strain of the bacillus. According to WHO, the most dangerous areas for multi-drug resistant TB are all situated around the edges of the European Union.
Today's resistance to medicines was probably the most serious challenge that tuberculosis had presented in Europe since the Second World War, said Markku Niskala, the Secretary General of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, in a press release. That was why, he continued, European leaders were being urged to react immediately and energetically, otherwise there was a danger the crisis could become uncontrollable.
“Drug resistance is a man-made problem and the solution is early detection, good infection control and proper treatment for all TB patients,” said ECDC Director Zsuzsanna Jakab, adding, “Some European countries will need support to achieve this, and if we are to defend public health in the European Union then we must address this emergency on our doorstep”.
The first United Nations special envoy responsible for combating tuberculosis Jorge Sampaio met the President of the European Commission in Brussels on 12 October, to make him aware of the seriousness of this infectious disease, which kills nearly 5,000 people every day in the world. (oj)