Asia Pacific Parliement Astablishes TB Caucus

Jakarta, (Antara) - The Asia Pacific Parliament, a grouping of Asian countries, has agreed to create the  Tuberculosis (TB) Asia Pacific caucus.

The agreement was reached in the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary meeting, which took place in Sydney, Australia, a member of the Indonesian Parliament, Okky Asokawati said in a press statement received by Antara here Friday (Sep 4).

The countries that established the caucus include Indonesia, India, Vietnam, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and Australia.

This is the first regional network to be established  under the umbrella of the Global TB caucus, which was created to respond to the spread of the disease. Some 60 percent of TB cases worldwide occur in the Asia Pacific region.

"As many as 5 million people suffer from this disease every year," Okky said.

Further, the parliamentarian regional network can promote solutions to overcome tuberculosis.

"Not only in Indonesia, but all over the world, every individual should understand this disease and have a strong commitment to stop the TB epidemic," she said.

She added that the development of drug-resistant TB has been threatening global health.

If we do not respond quickly, then as many as 40 million people in Asia Pacific, for the next 35 years, will be living with slowed economic growth.

The  Asia Pacific TB caucus supports patients and community groups that are vulnerable to tuberculosis.

The caucus also offers assistance to tuberculosis patients and their families to reduce their burdens, as stated in the Stop TB Partnership Global Plan 2016-2020 and the End TB Strategy 2016-2035.(*)