Chinese Vice-Premier Wu Yi said in Beijing Thursday that China has met its tuberculosis (TB) prevention and control target, but still faces a severe situation in the field in the future.

She said by the end of 2005, the Directly Observed Treatment Short-course (DOTS) proposed by the World Health Organization had covered all TB patients in China; 79 percent of TB cases were found timely; and China had achieved a 91 percent tuberculosis (TB) cure rate.

"China has met its medium-term target in tuberculosis prevention and control and the target it promised to the international community on time," Wu said at a national videoconference on TB prevention and control.

According to Wu, China has been constantly increasing input in TV prevention and control. The Central Government invested 300 million yuan (about US$37.5 million) in the program in 2005, supplemented by investments from regional governments and international aid.

Some of the money went to rewarding timely reporting of TB cases and providing free medicine to TB patients.

"However, the total TB prevention and control budget still falls far short of demand. Both the central and regional governments should further increase investment in the field," said Wu.

She said China still faces a severe situation in TB prevention and control as China still has the second largest TB patient population in the world and TB prevention and control remains weak in some regions.

According to Wu, more than one third of TB prevention and control agencies are understaffed. Most grass-roots TB prevention and control agencies haven't met national biological safety standards.

She urged enhancing TB reporting system in the rural areas, where 80 percent of China's 5 million TB patients are located, and TB reporting system targeting certain population groups.

"Special attention should be paid to reporting TB cases among the 150 million migrant population," said Wu.

She said other key target groups include school students, pre-school children and detainees.

"I believe the primary element in tuberculosis prevention and control should be finding tuberculosis patients early and managing them well to control the source of infection," said Wu.

The government will allocate 378 million yuan (US$47.25 million) for TB prevention and control this year, said a finance official at the conference.

(Xinhua News Agency June 16, 2006)