The Manila, Philippines-based WHO told reporters that MDR-TB can cross borders and that an "uncontrolled local epidemic" can threaten the stability of health security across the globe.
Dr. Shigeru Omi, WHO Western Pacific director says, "TB anywhere is TB everywhere." According to Omi, a TB patient that receives no treatment can easily infect 10 people annually. Airplane travel, estimated at two million people every year, poses a threat to spread the disease, he said.
Omi adds, "We are more vulnerable than ever to the MDR-TB threat. Countries must act responsibly to safeguard global health."
He said that an uncontrolled MDR-TB can lead to a costly and complex epidemic. He said drugs used in the treatment of MDR-TB are 100 times more expensive than drugs used to treat normal TB.
Tuberculosis is the second infectious disease killer of adults, next to Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV-AIDS), despite the fact that treatment for TB was discovered 50 years ago.
OMI said the Western Pacific regions have the largest number of MDR-TB cases in the world with highest number of concentration cases found in Eastern Europe.
