Charity group calls for provision of TB medications to North Korea
SEOUL, May 30 (Yonhap) -- A charity group on Thursday called for the provision of anti-tuberculosis drugs to North Korea, warning that first-line drugs for the disease are expected to run out in the impoverished country by the first half of next year.
The Eugene Bell Foundation made the appeal in a press conference in Seoul after its members returned from a three-week trip to North Korea for a regular on-site visit.
"It takes about nine months from order to delivery considering the time it takes for the anti-tuberculosis drugs to go through marine transportation, customs and quarantine," it said in a press release. "For North Korean medical staff to concentrate on tuberculosis treatment, swift measures should take place to prevent such a vacuum period."
Stephen Linton, chairman of the foundation, who led the delegation to the North, expressed frustration over difficulties in pursuing its projects due to the political situation.
"Regardless of inter-Korean relations, U.S.-North Korea relations or the progress in denuclearization, patients in North Korea should be able to receive accurate diagnosis and treatment," he said in Korean.
The foundation dispatches its officials to North Korea in spring and fall every year.
Source:
Yonhap News Agency
