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Tackling TB in the Chinese workforce

14 Oct 2008

Paul Chinnock

Source: World Economic Forum (see original article)

Tuberculosis can have a major effect on industry. When a large proportion of the workforce is afflicted by the disease, the impact on productivity is considerable. A new initiative has now been announced to help protect workers in China.

The Global Health Initiative of the World Economic Forum and The Lilly MDR-TB Partnership have launched an innovative toolkit entitled Protecting Your Workforce and Surrounding Communities from Tuberculosis. The launch took place at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2008 in Tianjin, People’s Republic of China.

The aim of the toolkit is to help Chinese companies increase their activities in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of TB and TB/HIV co-infections in the workplace, empowering them to take partial responsibility for the health of their employees.

Wang Lixia, Director, National Centre for TB Control and Prevention, Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, said: ‘The National TB Control Programme at the Chinese Centre for Disease Control has been involved in the development of this toolkit and firmly believes that it will be an important supporting tool for businesses who are seriously thinking about tackling TB among their workforce, their families and dependants. We urge businesses in China to help us tackle this public health issue marring the socio-economic well-being of the country and its people.’