Source: Ukraine: online media: “NOVOSTI.dn.ua"
Published on: 16 May, 2007 15:36 p.m.
WWW: http://novosti.dn.ua/details/45452/ 
 
Today on 16 May, Ukraine Without TB Memorandum on cooperation between the government, business, and the public in the fight against TB has been signed in Donetsk.
 
The Memorandum was signed by Vladimir Logvinenko, Donetsk Region Governor; Anatoliy Bliznuk, Chairman of Donetsk Regional Council; and Rinat Akhmetov, MP and President of the Foundation for Development of Ukraine.
 
The Memorandum sets forth principles and approaches to combat TB epidemic. The signatories confirmed their dedication to contribute to battling TB.
 
The ceremony of signing the Ukraine Without TB Memorandum followed the presentation of Regional Five-Year Program on Fighting TB Epidemic in Donetsk Region in 2007-2011.
 
“Tuberculosis is a national disaster. This infection can slam into every house, every family. No one is safe from it. Just think about the following figures: Ukraine numbers 600,000 only registered TB-infected people, with 120,000 of them having an open TB”, said R. Akhmetov commenting on signing of the Memorandum.
 
Mr Akhmetov said this problem had hit his family too. “I know what TB is. Unfortunately my family suffered from this disaster too. My brother had a serious form of TB. He has just a half of a lung left. We were fighting with the whole family for him, every day, every hour, every minute”, he said.
 
The presentation of the national project fighting against TB epidemic was attended by businessmen and MPs Vladimir Boiko, Georgiy Skudar, Valentin Landik, Yefim Zvyagilskiy, Head of the National Olympic Committee Sergey Bubka, ombudsman Nina Karpachyova, MP Tatyana Bakhteyeva, Board Chairman of "Industrial Union of Donbass" Sergey Taruta, and governors of Donetsk, Zaporozhye, Nikolayev and Lvov regions.