In what appeared to be a startling revelation, the total number of deaths caused by tuberculosis (TB) remained at 800 in the year 2005-2006 in Nepal, the National News Agency RSS reported Wednesday.

"Death toll increased because the TB patients could not take the medicine regularly and visit Directly Observed Treatment Short- course therapy offices as the insurgency and strike crippled the country," Dr. Pushpa Malla, director of the National Tuberculosis Center, was quoted by the RSS as saying.

According to the center, this disease mainly claims the lives of those who did not take medicine regularly up to eight months, the victims of HIV/AIDS, and the poor patients deprived of nutrition.

Nepal remains one of the poorest countries in Asia with 31 percent of the 27 million population still living under the poverty line.

According to the data compiled from reports provided at registration of death, the tuberculosis related mortality rate per 100,000 people remained at 26.8 in the year 2000, and 24.6 in 2002.

Source: Xinhua