The [him] moderator wonders how many of the people with TB also have HIV.

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Red Cross TB program covers more ground
Myanmar Times
Phyu Lin Wai

THE Myanmar Red Cross Society is planning to expand its community-based Tuberculosis Prevention and Control Program this year to include four additional townships in Yangon, said an official from the society.

U Zaw Htoo Oo, a communication officer from the society, said the program was introduced last year in Mayangone and Thaketa townships and is being extended this year to Insein, Hlaing Tharyar, Dala and Hlaing townships.

The program is run in collaboration with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

U Zaw Htoo Oo said representatives from the Myanmar Red Cross Society have already held advocacy meetings with township officials and would begin offering healthcare services as soon as it had provided training courses for 50 Red Cross volunteers from each township.

The trained volunteers will be responsible for educating people about tuberculosis and its treatment, and for making sure those on treatment programs are getting their drugs and taking them regularly.

“The volunteers will also look out for new infected patients and refer them to tuberculosis microscopy centres in Yangon,” he said.

U Zaw Htoo Oo said the program has helped raise the effectiveness of the National Tuberculosis Program, which is run by the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the World Health Organisation, by reducing the mortality and transmission rates of the disease.

http://www.myanmar.com/myanmartimes/MyanmarTimes16-307/n010.htm