Some 86% of the total number of cases of tuberculosis recorded in Moldova last year were in children. Most often, the disease affects children aged between 5 and 14. The data were presented in parliamentary hearings, IPN reports.
Secretary of State at the Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Protection Aliona Serbulenco said each third case of disease was logged in the Transnistrian region. The rate is 83.3 cases of disease per 100 000 people.
According to the Department of Penitentiary Institutions, there are slightly over 100 detainees suffering from this disease and 13 of these suffer from multi-drug-resistant TB.
Oxana Doment, co-chairwoman of the Europe and Central Asia Group of the parliamentary tuberculosis fighting network “Global TB Caucus”, said tuberculosis is an infectious disease that claims the largest number of lives globally. “This daily claims 5,000 lives. Also, 1,000 new cases of TB are daily recorded in the region,” said the ex-MP.
As a result of the parliamentary hearings, recommendations will be formulated for the responsible authorities for improving the situation in the medium and long run, including in investigating the new cases of diseases, improving the treatment and promoting information programs in education institutions.
