TB treatment program a success in E. Timor

JAKARTA (JP): Two non-governmental organizations announced their success in combating tuberculosis among children in East Timor through a new strategy known as DOTS.

The "Directly Observed Treatment, Short Course" is used by the Christian Children's Fund and the Indonesian Children's Foundation to ensure that over 500 small patients take their medicines regularly and until they are cured.

In a press release, the Children's Fund spokesperson Tetty Herawati said Saturday that 557 children had been assisted; 553 followed the strategy regularly, and 207 children were now already cured and in good health. The remaining 343 were still in the program.

Three children failed to complete the program as they moved to another village without notifying their health care workers.

March 24 is World TB Day.

Tetty said DOTS ensured that parents and other family members observed the affected child take a combination of four medications for six to eight months.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said in a statement that DOTS made use of trained health care professionals as well as volunteers -- including shopkeepers, teachers and former tuberculosis patients -- in observing patients take their medication.

The strategy helps check the further spread of tuberculosis and reduces the threat of multidrug-resistant strains, which is 100 times more costly to treat and very difficult to cure.

Director of the WHO Global TB Program Dr. Arata Kochi said the results of DOTS field tests in several dozen countries showed that the strategy was applicable everywhere, with cure rates reaching 85 percent and more.

DOTS has been tested over the past few years in Tanzania, New York, the United States, Indonesia and Peru with impressive initial results, Kochi said.

The strategy is cost-effective with estimates of US$100 for every patient, an amount which can be broken to a very affordable rate of 10 US cents per capita in developing countries. (01)