DAR ES SALAAM, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday Tanzania is set to improve the diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis (TB) and other chronic lung diseases, including lung cancer after a new initiative to integrate community-based TB prevention and care with detection of chronic lung conditions showed impactful results in Tanga region.

       A statement issued by the WHO in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam said the UN's health agency in collaboration with the Ministry of Health supported a pilot project in Tanga region as part of its global effort to integrate community TB activities and chronic lung disease for early detection.

       The statement issued to mark the World Tuberculosis Day said one of the key expectations of the pilot project was increased diagnostic accuracy of chronic lung diseases that were previously misdiagnosed.

       The project was conducted in three health facilities in Tanga region where over 1,045 cases of chronic bronchitis were accurately diagnosed, whereas prior to the project, almost 33 percent of chronic bronchitis and upper respiratory tract infections were misdiagnosed as asthma, said the statement.

       "Through this project over the two-year period, over 1,045 cases of chronic bronchitis were identified, and a few possible cases of lung cancer were referred for further management at specialist hospitals," said Christine Musanhu, WHO medical officer leading the Communicable Diseases Cluster.

       "This is a smart investment to make since it facilitates not only early detection of chronic lung diseases but ensures correct diagnosis," said Tigest Ketsela Mengestu, WHO Tanzania country director.

       "It is patient-centered because patients will start using the medicine for the right diagnosis early, increasing chances of recovery," she said.

       Tanzania is one of the 30 countries with the highest burden of tuberculosis in the world.

       According to WHO, 133,000 people (222 per 100,000 population) fell ill with tuberculosis and 26,800 died from the disease in 2020.

       World Tuberculosis Day is an opportunity to focus on the people affected by this disease and to call for accelerated action to end TB suffering and deaths, especially during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.