Kathmandu, Feb. 26: international conference “tb. Net 2000” has concluded here after pointing out the need for forging co-ordination between member countries, institutions and persons associated with the health sector to combat tuberculosis.

Participating planners, tb and hiv/aids managers, tb specialists, medical doctors, intellectuals, economists, human right acivists and researchers expressed their commitment to preventing the malady in their respective quarters and countries.

At the conference held under the joint auspicious of tb. Net, united mission to Nepal, national tb centre and saarc tb centre in collaboration with the World Health Organisation and Tear Fund uk working papers were presented on power, poverty and tb and extensive discussions held on the remedial measures and future course of action.

The participants also expressed the view that the world’s tb patients living below the poverty line should have affordable and easy treatment facilities.

A large number of youths and especially women fall prey to this disease every year due to the effects of globalisation, global debt and gender inequality.

During the conference, the participants also held discussion about rampant treatment at private hospitals and clinics in developed and developing countries and the difficulties in implementing the dots strategy in a poor country like Nepal.

They pointed out the need for mobilising people’s participation in view of the rise in cases of tb and the high mortality rate.

According to statistics, one third of the world’s poor are suffering from this disease and some 5,000 die of it every day.

Dots strategy which was introduced by who over ten years ago now extends to 110 countries of the world. Here in Nepal, it has been implementing since the past 4 years.

Secretary at the ministry of health Srikant Regmi, at the concluding ceremony, said that His Majesty’s Government has introduced a National tb control programme and will implement dots throughout the country by 2003.

Director of the national and saarc tb centre Dr. Dirgh Singh Bam noted that dots is the best way to treat tb.

Tb net steering group coordinator Dr. Ian Smith expressed satisfaction over the successful extension of the tb net programme throughout the world. It was started just a few years ago.

Altogether 120 representatives from 18 different countries took part in the 3-day conference. It is the fourth such programme to be held in Nepal.