23-03-04

Barrett attends global summit on World Tuberculosis Day

John Barrett, Liberal Democrat MP for Edinburgh West, today attended a Global Summit on Tuberculosis in India, and called for new efforts to help tackle the disease.

The summit, which is being held in New Delhi, brings together Government Ministers, international organisations and others to discuss what more can be done to tackle the global spread of TB. Mr Barrett, a Member of the House of Commons International Development Select Committee, is part of the UK parliamentary delegation.

Today's summit is just part of a series of events to mark World Tuberculosis Day, organised by the World Health Organisation to raise awareness of the issue and to reignite international efforts to halt the disease.

Speaking from New Delhi, John Barrett said:

"Despite 40 years of decline, the number of TB deaths is now on the rise. One person now dies every fifteen seconds from the disease. That is why this summit is so important in terms of getting international agreement on a way forward.

"Although TB problems are particularly bad in countries such as Nigeria and Ethiopia, it would be wrong to think this is an isolated problem in Africa. This year, more people than ever before are expected to die from TB, partly because of new outbreaks in Eastern Europe.

"Here in India though, TB is being taken very seriously and their control programme contributes the most to the world expansion of TB control. We have to learn lessons from what has worked in this country and see what can be replicated elsewhere. Like anything though, it will only happen if the proper money is put in. International donors and the UK Government especially, have a responsibility to play a leading part."

ENDS

Notes to Editors

More information is available at the World Tuberculosis Day website www.stoptb.org