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THE NATION: Thailand struggling in



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      Thailand struggling in TB
      control effort

      THE Public Health Ministry is moving
      ahead well in controlling tuberculosis
      despite the World Health Organisation
      saying Thailand cannot meet its target for
      detection and cure by 2000, the director of
      the Tuberculosis Division said yesterday. 

      At a press conference on TB in London on
      Thursday, WHO identified 16 countries as
      lagging in TB control, including Thailand.
      Because of these countries, WHO said it
      cannot meet its target of detecting 70 per
      cent of cases and curing 85 per cent by
      2000. 

      Dr Wallop Payanant, director of the Public
      Health Ministry's TB Division, said because
      of a late start in using a new treatment, the
      Directly Observed Treatment Short course
      (Dots) introduced by WHO in 1996,
      Thailand needed five years to meet the
      target. 

      ''The country cannot meet the target by
      2000. In that year, we expect to achieve
      about 70 to 80 per cent,'' he said. 

      In 1993, Dots was introduced by WHO as
      the most efficient way to control the
      disease, which has re-emerged because of
      Aids. When compared with countries that
      have achieved successful control -- such as
      Bangladesh, which started using Dots early
      and can now cure 80 per cent of TB cases
      -- Thailand has been able to use it in only
      27 per cent of the country. 

      ''That indicates that TB in Bangladesh is
      under control. In addition, the method is
      strongly assisted by its non-governmental
      organisations. It will successfully meet the
      WHO target in 2000,'' Wallop said. 

      However, he said, a recent review by WHO
      showed that Thailand has made significant
      progress in TB control. Dots is now being
      used in one district in every province from
      an initial eight provinces. 

      The Public Health Ministry also faces the
      problem of poor laboratory services, which
      WHO evaluated as being needed to
      urgently improve the quality of training of
      laboratory technicians to detect and locate
      TB cases. 

      BY ARAYA THAWORNWANCHAI 

      The Nation