KUALA LUMPUR, March 16 — The Health Ministry has advised parents to ensure their children are given tuberculosis (TB) vaccine to prevent the disease.

Deputy Health director-general (Public Health) Datuk Dr Azman Abu Bakar said there were 674 cases where parents did not want their new-born babies to be given BCG immunisation injection to prevent the spread of the disease.

"This trend is very worrying as the number of TB cases was reported to be on the rise,” he told reporters after launching the National TB and Lung Diseases Conference 2018 here today.

Azman said cases involving TB had increased eight per cent to 26,168 cases last year compared to 24,220 cases in 2015.

Fatalities from TB also rose to 6.5 for every 100,000 people last year compared to 5.5 per 100,000 people in 2015.

"It is not difficult to prevent and treat TB. Nonetheless, it is very sad there are anti-vaccine groups who do not believe in immunisation. We hope they will rethink and ensure their children receive the vaccine to prevent TB,” he said.

Azman said continuous efforts would be carried out to ensure Malaysia is free of TB by 2035 and hoped all parties cooperate with the government.

He said the government was very committed in the effort to end the TB epidemic in Malaysia and among the efforts implemented was early detection of TB through screenings and contact examination and prevention through free BCG injection for newly born babies. — Bernama