TB is rising in Jambi

JAMBI, Jambi: Some 7,000 people in Jambi suffer from tuberculosis, the provincial health office said.

This makes the TB rate in the province higher than the national average, the chief of the health office, Tjikwan Bafadhal, told Antara.

The province has a population of 2.4 million.

One of the main obstacles in combating tuberculosis is ignorance about the illness, Tjikwan said.

The ailment spreads quickly and it is extremely difficult to cure. The virus chiefly attacks poor people.

"What's worse is that most victims do not know that tuberculosis is a difficult disease to cure," Tjikwan said. (06)