16 die every day due to TB in Nepal: experts

Kathmandu, Nov 29 (UNI) Sixteen people die of tuberculosis (TB) in Nepal everyday, according to Nepalese health experts.

There are around 90,000 patients infected with TB in the country and the number increases by 40,000 annually, a press release issued by the Nepal Anti-Tuberculosis Association (NATA) said .

''In every three hours, two patients die of TB in Nepal. Globally, 1.6 million people die of TB every year,'' the press release said.

Similarly, an English daily, quoting the general secretary of the NATA, said the government had adopted a new technology DOTS (Direct Observation Treatment Service) Plus to cure Multi Drug Resistant (MDR) tuberculosis.

Currently, NATA is running 21 DOTS Plus clinics in five development regions, where 350 MDR patients have already been treated free of cost.

''It has been estimated that $ 2.15 billion is needed to combat drug-resistant TB globally,'' the Himalayan times reported.

UNI