SUVA, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) -- Fiji will implement an action plan to reduce tuberculosis (TB) to 10-20 incident cases per 100,000 people as part of Fiji's new National TB Control Program (NTP) in the next three to five years.

According to a news release by the Fijian government on Wednesday, Fiji's Minister for Health and Medical Services Ifereimi Waqainabete said at the recent Asia-Pacific Parliamentarian Forum on Global Health that the action plan had a targeted timeframe of three to five years.

"The plan will focus on intensive control interventions among high-risk cohorts such as people living with HIV, diabetics and the contacts of known TB cases in high burden and hard to reach communities," he said.

"In addition, screening and prophylactic treatment of Latent TB Infection will be prioritized. The intermediate and long-term strategic plans of the NTP are underpinned by the principles of Universal Health Coverage and the 'Healthy Islands' ideals," Waqainabete said.

In 2017, the ministry indicated that 49 out of every 100,000 Fijians had TB and about four of those infected succumbed to the disease which is diagnosed by having a chest X-Ray and a sputum sample.