Tuberculosis control in the south-east asia region : annual TB report 2013.

All 11 Member States have sustained country-wide access to DOTS. Each year, more than 2 million TB cases are being registered for treatment and the treatment success rate among new smear-positive pulmonary TB cases has remained above 85% since 2005, and was 88% in 2010. The TB mortality rate has decreased by 40% since 1990 and the South-East Asia Region is on track to achieve the global target of a 50% reduction by 2015. The decline in the prevalence is observed in all Member countries and in some countries, it is over 50%. Approximately 40% of the estimated global number of cases occurs in the South-East Asia Region (based on current estimates) as well as more than one fourth on the MDR-TB burden. The collaboration between TB and HIV control programmes is improving. Many of the constraints to effective implementation of TB control services in Member States relate to underlying weaknesses and under-financing of national health systems in general, many of which are already overstretched in terms of both infrastructure and staffing. To enable universal access and continuing scale-up of critical interventions, there is an urgent need to sustain current financial commitments and to advocate for additional financial resources.