KAMPALA, Dec. 12 (Xinhuanet) -- Uganda ranks 14th among the world's 22 countries with the highest tuberculosis (TB) burden of 80,000new cases per year, Radio Uganda reported on Sunday.

    Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni was quoted by the government radio as saying that TB is a big burden to the social-economic development because a person infected with TB loses six to eight months of work during treatment.

    The president made the remarks in his written speech read by Minister in charge of the Presidency Kirunda Kivejinja when launching the Uganda Stop TB Partnership Conference at weekend.

    Museveni said the most affected age group of TB is 11 to 45 years and the TB patient is not economically active.

    He pointed out that the burden to special groups like the army police, prison and the internally displaced persons poses a major socio-economic threat to Uganda.

    The president, however, recognized the contributions made by various stakeholders in combating the TB scourge like donors and religion-based organizations.

    He observed that with the support of development partners, Uganda is progressing toward the attainment of the set targets of finding 70 percent of infection cases and curing 85 percent by 2005. Enditem