Pakistan ranks sixth in the world, having 1.5 million tuberculosis patients, said a report issued on 18th Biennial International Pediatric Conference held here on Tuesday.
The three-day conference on child healthcare titled "Every child counts" was organised by the Pakistan Paediatric Association, which was attended by the delegates from the United States, United Kingdom and Saarc countries, besides child specialists from all over the country.
The report further said the disease was responsible for 26 percent of avoidable deaths across the world. Out of the total number of tuberculosis patients, about 40 percent did not seek any medical advice and a majority of them died within two years of catching the disease. About eight to 20 percent children were suffering from the disease, it said.
The report further stated that thalassemia was amongst the commonest inherited disorders in the country with more than eight million children suffering from the disease. "Every year, more than 6,000 children are born with thalassemia. Comprehensive preventive programme for identification of carriers and parental diagnosis is only effective option to control thalassemia in Pakistan," the report said.
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