BANGUI, March 24 (AFP) - The number of cases of tuberculosis in the Central African Republic has been rising steadily for the past 10 years, with the capital Bangui particularly hard hit by the disease, Health Minister Nestor Mamadou-Nali said Wednesday.

"In 1996, we had 3,416 cases of tuberculosis, in 1997, 4,640 cases and in 2004, 4,706 cases," said Mamadou-Nali.

"Tuberculosis poses a considerable problem in our country," he said, adding that some strains of the illness were resistant to medication and many people afflicted by the disease preferred to hide the fact they were infected.

The disease is considered by many Central Africans to be caused by a witch's spell or to be a "shameful infection", and they prefer to cover up the fact that they are infected.

Some 24,000 people around the world are infected each day by tuberculosis, which is spread by bacteria, and around two million people die from the disease each year.

"Studies conducted in cooperation with the Pasteur Institute in Bangui show that out of 449 cases of tuberculosis in Bangui, 56 percent were also HIV-positive and 57.6 percent have gone missing," he said.

"We have also noted that one case in six is resistant" to medication, he added.

Central Africa has had a national anti-tuberculosis programme, funded by donors, since 1995.

"Despite the existence of the programme, we have to admit that many patients... stop their treatment too early because they feel better" after a few weeks, said Mamadou-Nali.

Central Africans can be vaccinated against tuberculosis in many medical centres around the capital.

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