KATHMANDU, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Nepal is celebrating World Tuberculosis Day on Saturday with the message "TB anywhere is TB everywhere".

    According to the National Tuberculosis Center (NTC), there are 80,000 TB patients and each year 40,000 people are infected in the country.

¡¡¡¡Dr Pushpa Malla, director of the NTC, said there is a rapid increase in the number of cases with both HIV and TB, which is a deadly combination, and HIV among TB patients too is posing a huge threat, as TB is a leading killer of people living with HIV.

    The country has achieved the global target of TB case finding rate of 70 percent and cure rate of total cases at 85 percent, Malla added.

    It is estimated that the sentinel site survey conducted in 2001 by the NTC showed that 2.3 percent of the TB patients are infected with HIV/AIDS.

    "The national TB program has incorporated a policy to address both TB and HIV/AIDS. The policy must be endorsed at the earliest to save the lives of many," said Malla.

    On Saturday, a rally is being organized in Nepali capital Kathmandu. Health and Population Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Amik Sherchan will be the chief guest of the event.