MANILA, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Almost 5,000 people in the Western Pacific region fall ill with tuberculosis (TB) each day, and more than 250 die from the infectious disease, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
"Would you believe that, every day in this region, almost 5,000 people get sick with tuberculosis, and unfortunately more than 250 people die?" Takeshi Kasai, WHO regional director for the Western Pacific, recently said in a video message.
Kasai stressed the need "to help those infected with TB to be identified, and ensure they receive a proper diagnosis and access to treatment that will cure."
Kasai said "it is time for action to end TB," stressing the need for the people in the region to play a role in fighting the communicable disease. "All of us have a role to play," he added.
Kasai said Western Pacific region has made progress in the fight against TB. Since the year 2000, he said 23 million people have been successfully treated for TB and 30 million lives have been saved.
"But we can do better than this. TB is entirely preventable and it can be cured," Kasai said.
"We all have a role to play to end TB," he said, adding that health professionals and health systems are crucially important in the fight against TB.
