TB 'out of control' in Zimbabwe

TB is out of control in Zimbabwe, with the drug resistant strain of the disease particularly widespread, according to health experts based in the country.

In a statement issued at the 38th Union World Conference on Lung Health, Zimbabwean advocacy organisations cited health system neglect, the country's HIV epidemic and its social and economic situation as contributory factors, AllAfrica.com reported.

The experts also claimed there was a lack of accurate testing for TB in the country, arguing treatment often relied on a doctor's ability to recognise the disease.

David Parirenyatwa, Zimbabwean Minister of Health and Child Welfare, told Partners Zimbabwe: "I have to admit, as a government, we have not done enough to address the issue of tuberculosis, and this is something that I have stated publicly."

"The focus on HIV has largely driven our attention from TB, and this is something we have to redress as a matter of urgency," he added.

Figures published by the World Health Organization indicated that there were 50,454 new and relapsed cases of TB in Zimbabwe in 2005.

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