New York (ANTARA) - Visiting Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla has highlighted the importance of global commitment to combating the spread of tuberculosis in a comprehensive and collective manner.

The vice president, who leads the Indonesian delegation to the 73rd UN General Assembly session at the Assembly Hall of the United Nations headquarters, New York, made the remarks on Monday.

Kalla also cited the example of how the world had committed to overcoming AIDS and HIV cases.

"A few years ago, (in order to deal with AIDS), the entire world had united, so that it (the number of cases) could reduce. The number of cases decreased significantly, as the world was united. This was good, as most of it (the cases) were reported in developing countries," he pointed out.

Meanwhile, Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Puan Maharani, who attended a High-Level Meeting on Global peace at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on Monday, remarked that the 73rd meeting of the High-Level Panel Against Tuberculosis at the 73rd General Assembly will strengthen global commitment to handling the disease.

"Infectious tuberculosis accounts for the fourth-largest number of deaths in the world, involving all countries at the United Nations, that certainly should remain committed to eliminating the death toll due to the disease by 2030," she informed reporters at the UN Headquarters on Monday local time.

Health Minister Nila Moeloek will also attend the first-of-its-kind event of the High-Level Panel Against Tuberculosis to be held on Wednesday, September 26, 2018.

Reporting by M Arief Iskandar
Editing by Bustanuddin, Yoseph Hariyadi

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Editor: Heru Purwanto
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