TB treatment program a success in E. Timor<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Two non-governmental organizations announced
\ntheir success in combating tuberculosis among children in East
\nTimor through a new strategy known as DOTS.<\/p>\n
The "Directly Observed Treatment, Short Course" is used by the
\nChristian Children's Fund and the Indonesian Children's
\nFoundation to ensure that over 500 small patients take their
\nmedicines regularly and until they are cured.<\/p>\n
In a press release, the Children's Fund spokesperson Tetty
\nHerawati said Saturday that 557 children had been assisted; 553
\nfollowed the strategy regularly, and 207 children were now
\nalready cured and in good health. The remaining 343 were still in
\nthe program.<\/p>\n
Three children failed to complete the program as they moved to
\nanother village without notifying their health care workers.<\/p>\n
March 24 is World TB Day.<\/p>\n
Tetty said DOTS ensured that parents and other family members
\nobserved the affected child take a combination of four
\nmedications for six to eight months.<\/p>\n
The World Health Organization (WHO) said in a statement that
\nDOTS made use of trained health care professionals as well as
\nvolunteers -- including shopkeepers, teachers and former
\ntuberculosis patients -- in observing patients take their
\nmedication.<\/p>\n
The strategy helps check the further spread of tuberculosis
\nand reduces the threat of multidrug-resistant strains, which is
\n100 times more costly to treat and very difficult to cure.<\/p>\n
Director of the WHO Global TB Program Dr. Arata Kochi said the
\nresults of DOTS field tests in several dozen countries showed
\nthat the strategy was applicable everywhere, with cure rates
\nreaching 85 percent and more.<\/p>\n
DOTS has been tested over the past few years in Tanzania, New
\nYork, the United States, Indonesia and Peru with impressive
\ninitial results, Kochi said.<\/p>\n
The strategy is cost-effective with estimates of US$100 for
\nevery patient, an amount which can be broken to a very affordable
\nrate of 10 US cents per capita in developing countries. (01)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/tb-treatment-program-a-success-in-e-timor-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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