The State Minister for Health, Hamid Yar Harraj, has said the elimination of all dangerous diseases, including tuberculosis (TB) is first and foremost priority of the government and within 2005 the medical care would be provided to 100 percent patients.
"AIDS, Hepatitis and SARS are not our concern while we have to lay our emphasis on eradication of TB, and use all out efforts and resources for this noble cause", he said while addressing a media briefing regarding the National Tuberculosis Control Programme (NTCP) at the TB Center here on Wednesday. The minister visited the hospital, and expressed satisfaction over the arrangements being made for provision of medical care to the patients.
He said the NTCP is a health ministry's project launched with Rs 800 million funds, adding: "Although TB is a major national problem, and we are falling in the highest tuberculosis occurring countries and highest TB carrier regions. But we are not lagging behind any other country in eradication of this disease."
The minister said Pakistan is lacking proper education and health facilities, but the present government is committed to working in these two top priority areas, which are most important, and the improvement in these sectors is necessary for sustainable development.
Hamid Yar Harraj stressed the need for creating awareness among the people regarding this killer disease, saying that doctors and media person should jointly create awareness among masses.
"We have to give proper education to families of the TB patients in order to bring patients to the hospital, and provide them medical care", he added.
The main aim should be motivation, and doctors should motivate patients to response to the treatment and medicines which is necessary to attain the desired results, the minister said, adding the Local Government system should also be involved in the process and they would educate people and given them proper know-how about the treatment of this disease.
Hamid Yar Harraj assured the administration of the TB Center that the government would not leave any stone unturned in providing all help for success of the programme and eradication of the disease.
NTCP Project Director Syed Karam Shah briefed the minister about the progress and performance of the TB Center and the NTCP, saying the NTCP is aimed at ensuring the country-wide control of TB through Directly Observed Treatment Short courses (DOTS) strategy.
Talking on TB situation in Pakistan, he said that TB is a social stigma of Pakistan and the country is the sixth among high TB burden states in the world, and also harbours 43 percent of disease burden in EMR/WHO. We are receiving 250,000 new cases of TB every year, while the 75 percent of the patients are of the age group of 14 to 59 years, he added.
The NTCP project director said more women in Pakistan die of TB than other causes of maternal mortality, adding under NTCP, the government has planned to increase the cure rate of diagnosed new sputum smear positive pulmonary cases at lease 85 percent by 2005 and increase case detection to 75 percent. The NTCP has to achieve the 100 percent DOTS coverage by 2005, and reduce the morbidity and mortality from TB by 50 percent by 2010 and to achieve MDGs by 2015, he added.
He said that the budgetary constraints are main cause of slow pace of the project. In spite of lack of funds, the NTCP is working properly, adding: "We have established six modern and international level laboratories in all four provinces and AJK for testing of the patients. We are providing medical courses to 153,100 patients", he said.
Donor agencies are co-operating with the NTCP, and are providing all possible help and assistance in shape of medicines, technical assistance and moral support, he added.
Karam Shah said the staff in this programme is working with full devotion and is committed to help eradicate this disease from the country.
The minister besides visit of the different units of the hospital also planted a tree in the lawns of the TB Center.
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