There are about 6,000 notified tuberculosis (TB) cases each year in Hong Kong, with a rate of about 90 cases per 100,000 population, according to a government figure released Friday.

Speaking on Friday at a ceremony to mark the annual World TB Day, Hong Kong Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food York Chow said Hong Kong was located in Asia which had high incidence of TB. In the West Pacific Region alone, there are two million new cases every year, accounting for one fourth of the world's total cases.

Chow said that sustained efforts should be made against TB and adjusted in accordance with the latest development.

Public support and co-operation was very important in the fight to eliminate the disease, Chow added. To prevent TB, people should build up their bodily resistance by getting adequate rest and exercise. Meanwhile, they should adhere to a balanced diet and watch out for the relevant health information.

The Government would continue to fine-tune and strengthen its strategy and mechanism in controlling TB, as well as maintain close collaboration with the World Health Organization and other local and international organizations with an aim to reduce the TB burden in Hong Kong, Chow said.

Echoing Chow's remarks, Acting Director of Health, PY Leung said that long-term strategic measures were necessary to control the worldwide problem of TB.

"The major measures adopted by the department include the Directly Observed Treatment (DOT) for TB patients, contact tracing and detection of TB cases," Leung said.

"To further control the spread of TB, the department has also provided medicines to the appropriate patients' family members who were infected to minimize the chance of development of the disease.

"Health tips on the prevention of TB and latest professional manual on TB were uploaded onto website regularly by DH to help control the disease and improve the standard of its treatment."

Leung said the World Health Organization last month formally designated the department's TB Reference Laboratory as a Supranational Tuberculosis (TB) Reference Laboratory to assist in the formulation of technical standard and training for professionals here and in the neighboring regions.

"This honor is an international recognition of Hong Kong's persistent efforts to eliminate TB," he said.

Source: Xinhua