Pharma group launches activities to raise awareness of the disease

Xian Janssen Pharmaceutical Ltd, one of China's largest pharmaceutical joint ventures, launched a set of activities to help tackle tuberculosis and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in China.

Through its initiative, Xian Janssen, a company under Johnson&Johnson, engaged in a range of activities to increase disease awareness among the public and improve patient care, to gather momentum for World TB Day, which was held on March 24.

The events included public disease education activities, TB prevention and treatment knowledge lectures in communities, free TB consultations and volunteer activities, according to the company.

Asgar Rangoonwala, president of Xian Janssen, said: "We understand the significant unmet medical needs and challenges surrounding the treatment of TB and MDR-TB. We aim to further elevate this public health issue and promote wider understanding of the dynamics of the diseases."

In 2015, TB claimed an estimated 1.8 million lives worldwide, including 400,000 deaths resulting from TB among people living with HIV. It remains one of the top threats to global public health.

China remains one of the 30 countries with the highest TB burden globally, with approximately 900,000 new TB cases confirmed each year in the country, according to the World Health Organization.

MDR-TB is a form of TB that is characterized by resistance to the two most powerful drugs in the first-line regimen, meaning patients have considerably reduced options to tackle the disease. In 2015, an estimated 70,000 people in China developed MDR-TB.

Xu Shaofa, president of Beijing Chest Hospital, said: "It is our shared belief that one of the most effective ways to tackle TB and MDR-TB is to promote better understanding, and to show how partnerships and combined efforts can help tackle the disease."

Yan Xiaodong, a former TB patient and a host of a popular TB forum on Baidu.com, said: "TB places a huge burden on patients because of the length and complexity of the treatment, in addition to other factors like the social stigma that surrounds the disease. With increased awareness and a more sustained public conversation, we can build a more caring environment for patients to recover."

In 2011, Xian Janssen and the National Health and Family Planning Commission of China launched a program on MDR-TB control and prevention.

Under this initiative, the parties established a national educational tele-platform. So far, some TB hospitals in 30 provinces and region shave connected to the platform to carry out a series of medical activities.

zhuwenqian@chinadaily.com.cn