Success stories
Jordan
“Jordan First” in stopping tuberculosis: visit of Dr Jorge Sampaio and Portugese football legend Luis Figo to Jordan, April 2010
Jordan,
Amman, 30 April 2010—“Jordan has shown that beating tuberculosis is possible
and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis can be treated through the power and
commitment of public and private partnership”. The speakers of a press
conference congratulated the Government of Jordan on the success led by the
former Portuguese President, current United Nations Secretary-General's
Special Envoy to Stop Tuberculosis and an activist in promoting
cross-cultural relations, Dr Jorge Sampaio, Luis Figo, the Goodwill
Ambassador Against Tuberculosis and football player, Dr Hussein A. Gezairy,
WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean and the Minister of
Health of Jordan Dr Nayef Al Fayez. Dr Khaled Abu Rumman, the manager of the
national tuberculosis control programme in Jordan, also addressed the press
conference.
Jorge
Sampaio and Luis Figo briefed the media on their visit to Jordan which
started on 29 April with a welcome dinner hosted by HRH Prince Ali Ben
Hussein. The visit aimed at supporting the national programme and promoting
its success as a beacon of hope among the millions of tuberculosis patients
and people affected by multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in the world.
Jorge Sampaio emphasized that tuberculosis was a big public health problem and development concern in countries and said “like Jordan we have to move progressively on providing care for affected people, this can only be done when everyone is involved, political commitment is sustained and partnership strengthened, only then can we achieve the real Millennium Development Goal of saving human lives”.
Luis Figo’s presence sent out a message to all including young people in Jordan to come forward and use their immense potential in the fight against diseases such as tuberculosis which pose a serious challenge to development.
“I
was amazed to see the energy of young boys and girls, the spirit of
cooperation and the commitment of the Government and willingness of society
to be part of a public health campaign against tuberculosis” Figo said. He
further shared his experience with the media on his visit to SoS Children’s
Village and Al Noor Sanitorium run by a nongovernmental organization with
the help of the Government to provide treatment to multidrug-resistant
patients; met young footballers at Petra stadium who were excited to be part
of his global campaign against tuberculosis and finally awarding winners of
a charity Stop Tuberculosis show organized by Amman Riding Club. He said
that what he saw was exactly what was needed at a football ground, values to
believe in to win, including solidarity, equality, challenge and opportunity
and that he had witnessed a wonderful team spirit which was again exactly
what was needed in the fight against tuberculosis.
Dr Hussein A. Gezairy, WHO Regional Director, said that tuberculosis was now declining in the Region but not quickly enough although significant progress had been made. Mmore than 2.3 million tuberculosis patients had been cured since 2000 through the directly observed treatment strategy and thus a million more infections had been stopped. He added that we needed to stop tuberculosis not only in the countries of this Region but also in all countries of the world and that a secure future for children free from tuberculosis was the goal for all.
Earlier, Dr Khaled Abu Romman, the Manager of the national tuberculosis programme, while briefing the media said that tuberculosis was a preventable and treatable disease but still killed nearly two million people every year in the world. He said that lowering the incidence of tuberculosis was an achievement in Jordan reached through hard work and the collaboration of the public and private sectors under the leadership of the Ministry of Health, with the support of partners such as the Jordanian Anti-Tuberculosis Association and Jordanian Stop TB partnership and Middle East and North Africa Friends of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, which represented youth, the media, decision-makers, academia and civil society.
For more information, please contact:
Dr Khaled Abu Rumman, Tel: 00962 795580267
Jordan TB Goodwill Ambassador Ms Rania Ismail, Tel: 00962 776266662
E-mail:
tbjor@go.com.jo
World Health Organization- Amman Office -
wr@jor.emro.who.int
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