Health minister Abdulla Nazim has said that cases of HIV and Tuberculosis (TB) has decreased in Maldives.

Speaking at a meeting of members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), Maldives health minister Nazim said that the help of regional countries is important in controlling the spread of disease.

Minister Nazim said that the Maldives has launched a strategic plan to eliminate TB before 2022 and is implementing it along with the country’s plan to eliminate HIV.

The SAARC meeting is being held at Paradise Island resort for 15 days. At the meeting, SAARC members will discuss ways to control TB, HIV, and other diseases in the region.

The SAARC meeting on disease prevention is held every year, the last one was held in Bhutan.