DUSHANBE, March 19, 2010, Asia-Plus  -- A two-day training for Tajik journalists on coverage of TB prevention and control issues in media is concluding in Dushanbe on March 18.

More than 20 representatives from local media are participating in the training initiated by the Ministry of Health (MoH), Project HOPE and the Independent School of Journalism “Tajikistan – 21st Century” with financial support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the UNDP HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria Control Program.

Aleksey Korobitsyn, manager of the Project HOPE TB control program in Tajikistan, noted that the TB situation was very serious in Tajikistan.

According to him, despite considerable efforts, organization of numerous activities and financing, the problem remains unsolved, because society is not well aware of the disease and diagnostic methods.  People even do not know that treatment for TB is provided free of charge under support of donor partners, he said noting, that journalists could play an important role in combating TB in the country.

To-date, 14,542 TB suffered people have been registered with TB centers in Tajikistan.