Bulgarian Health Ministry Adopts Programme to Fight Tuberculosis

Text of report in English by Bulgarian news agency BTA website,

Sofia, 27 June: A programme for improved control of tuberculosis in Bulgaria financed by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria is the first donor-funded programme to implement policies around the country, the Health Ministry said.

The Bulgarian Coordinating Committee to Fight AIDS and Tuberculosis approved on Friday [27 June] health-care facilities in the 28 regional capitals, which will nominate candidates for 28 TB managers and 56 nurses to monitor the treatment of TB patients. The selected health-care facilities have been authorized to treat, prevent and control tuberculosis. Their staff will be trained and an information system will link the 28 regions.

Sofia will launch measures targeting refugees and persons seeking asylum. The capital and Plovdiv will seek to curb the disease among street children.

The committee approved a draft proposal for strengthening of the national programme to fight TB in Bulgaria, with which Sofia wants to apply for financing from the Global Fund for activities in 2010- 14.

The proposed strategies are intended to reduce incidence from 39.1 per 100,000 population in 2006 to 27 per 100,000 in 2014, as well as to provide quality diagnosing and treatment of all patients with multiresistant tuberculosis.

The National Centre for Health Information released final data, showing that 2,839 people were newly diagnosed with TB in 2007, of whom 1,818 were men. Children with TB aged 0 to 17 number 295. By comparison, the newly-diagnosed patients registered in 2006 were 3,011.

The incidence is 37.1 per 100,000 population. The incidence per 100,000 is higher than the country average in the following regions: Kyustendil (76.7), Vidin (72.1), Vratsa (64.1), Pernik (58.9) and Gabrovo (56).

Bulgaria holds a middle position between the countries with high incidence in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and the countries with low incidence in the European Union.

Originally published by BTA, Sofia, in English 1319 27 Jun 08.

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