March 25, 2003
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Remarks by Ambassador Kaminaga On the Occasion of World TB Day
At Birendra International Convention Hall
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Right Honorable Prime Minister Mr. Lokendra Bahadur Chand
Honorable Dr. Upendra Devkota, Minister for Health
Mr. Mahendra Nath Aryal, Secretary of the Ministry of Health
Dr. Luxmi Raj Pathak, Director General, Department of Health Services
Dr. Dirgha Singh Bam, Director, National Tuberculosis Center
Donor Colleagues
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen
It is indeed my great pleasure to attend this ceremony to mark World TB Day. I would like to thank the Organizing Committee for inviting me on this occasion.
Today, tuberculosis is recognized as a serious global health issue. It is not only the greatest fatal communicable disease among adults in the world, but it is also a contagious killer of the poor. Hence, it undermines the health and ability of millions of people hampering development efforts as a whole in developing countries.
As in many parts of the world, tuberculosis is a major health problem threatening many lives in Nepal. It is reported that about 80,000 people in Nepal have active cases of TB, and about 44,000 new cases of TB are found in the country every year. Eight to eleven thousand adults who are engaged in social and development activities die from this disease annually. Thus, this leading infectious disease is seriously obstructing economic productivity and social development in Nepal.
Today, tuberculosis has become rare among Japanese people and has been almost consigned into oblivion. But, it was once a grave contagious disease in Japan too, especially before World War II. It was rampant between 1919 - 1947, killing two out of every 1,000 people annually. It proved to be the second largest cause of death in 1947, and it was only after 1951 that the eradication process accelerated.
The Government of Japan, realizing the importance of addressing this problem in Nepal, started extending bilateral cooperation intensively from 1987 in the forms of financial as well as technical assistance to support Nepal's National TB Control Program, with an emphasis on sustainability through the concept of self-help efforts and ownership of the program. During that period, the National Tuberculosis Center (NTC) and the Regional Tuberculosis Center (RTC) were established in Kathmandu and Pokhara respectively, under Japanese grant aid in order to facilitate the implementation of the National TB Program. In addition, technical cooperation by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has been continuous for over 15 years. Currently, the Community TB and Lung Health Project has been functioning in Nepal under the Project - Type Technical Cooperation of JICA since August 2000.
Today, the NTC has been recognized as the SAARC Regional Tuberculosis Center, to replicate TB Control Programs throughout this region, and as a center of excellence in training at both regional and international levels. This recognition has given Nepal an added responsibility of playing a key role in the control of TB in the entire SAARC Region.
Fortunately, TB can be cured nowadays by the Directly Observed Treatment Short Course, commonly known as DOTS. Though the DOTS treatment services have been functioning in Nepal since 1996, this clinical approach of DOTS alone is not enough to control TB. A social sector approach for poverty reduction and a greater public awareness is also equally important to meet this global challenge. In this connection, I should like to add one further observation that improvement in socio-economic conditions such as nutrition, working environment, hygiene and population control play a significant role in the prevention of TB. I earnestly hope that this kind of social sector approach with the efforts of the Nepali people will definitely make Nepal "a TB free zone" soon.
Thank you.
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