Berlin Hosts "All Against Tuberculosis" Ministerial Forum

Press office of the Health Ministry of Ukraine (HMU) informs that Ukrainian delegation represented by vice-PM D.Tabachnik and Minister of Health Care Yu.Gaidayev took part in the European Ministerial Forum "All Against Tuberculosis" held in Berlin. The Forum was organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ministry of Health Care of Germany and attended by 53 governmental delegations of European countries.

The forum targeted to step up fight against TB on the national level and make European governments responsible for full-scale and adequate funding of TB battling and preventing activities. In the address to forum delegates German Minister of Health Care Ula Schmidt, WHO Regional Director for Europe Marc Danzon, and a special ambassador of the UN General Secretary for the Fight Against TB spoke about improving health care systems in European countries to enhance control over the disease.

Health Minister of Ukraine Yu.Gaidayev took part in the discussion on "Attention Paid by National Health Care Systems to TB as Public Health Problem". Addressing the representatives, Yuriy Gaidayev said that every hour 4 new TB cases are registered and 1 person dies of TB in Ukraine. Active forms of TB have grown by 6% for the past decade. Mr Gaidayev also stressed that top priority national goals to stop TB epidemic included improving social welfare of population, training and providing social guarantees to medical staff, as well as increasing funding of TB-fighting activities. Ukraine is working to achieve these goals, in particular the country endorsed Law on Fighting TB. TB combat was made an integral part of the national policy and security, insisted the minister.