Tuberculosis remains China’s number one public health threat among infectious diseases, stated World Health Organization (WHO) representative in China Dr. Bernhard Schwartlander on Monday.
Every year, China records around 1 million new cases of tuberculosis, a disease that mainly affects the lungs. WHO further stated that majority of the patients belong to the low-income socio-economic strata.
According to the health agency, an estimated 100,000 patients are fully missed by the country's health system.
Meanwhile, around 54,200 are affected with multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), a type of tuberculosis that needs longer treatment and requires higher costs.
Patients with MDR-TB need to pay about 40,000 yuan per course of treatment, the WHO remarked.
To date, more than 550 million Chinese nationals are affected with tuberculosis. Approximately 80 percent are living in the rural areas.
According to Zhi Xiuyi, chief of Beijing's Lung Cancer Treatment Center at Xuanwu Hospital, both rural-based Chinese tuberculosis doctors and patients are not knowledgeable enough about the infectious disease.
"Most patients in less-developed areas will not consult doctors if the disease does not affect their life or work," Zhi enthused, stating that the patients often go to public areas without protection, an act that helps spread the TB bacteria.
Zhi urged the Chinese government to initiate more medical programs to patients in the rural regions.
WHO stated that the country is eyeing to launch new treatment paradigms that will offer economical services to patients. The health organization is optimistic that China will be able to wipe out the infectious disease in the next 20 years.
March 24 marks the celebration of World Tuberculosis Day.