17 Nov 2017 19:43

WHO member states adopt declaration to end TB by 2030 at Moscow conference

MOSCOW. Nov 17 (Interfax) - Healthcare ministers of the world have adopted a declaration to eliminate tuberculosis at a global conference of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Moscow.

"Allow me to thank everybody for their unanimous support and announce that the declaration has been adopted," Russian Healthcare Ministry Veronika Skvortsova said at the conference on Friday.

The document formalizes the member states' intentions to end the tuberculosis epidemic by 2030. This infection kills more than 5,000 people daily and is the primary cause of death of people of working age, as well as the principal cause of death among people living with HIV/AIDS.

In accordance with the document, healthcare ministers of the world assumed obligations to expand the scope of means of tuberculosis prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and care, pay special attention to at-risk populations, take measures against multidrug-resistant tuberculosis and take steps to expand access to new and efficient medicine.

The WTO first global ministerial meeting to end TB is taking place in Moscow on November 16-17.