With an estimated 300,000 new cases of tuberculosis (TB) emerging in the country each year, only 20 per cent of the patients are receiving proper medical care, which is a matter of grave concern. The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis is at the forefront of the battle against TB with the Stop TB Partnership, countries' National TB Programmes and other partners around the world. Although, the Global Fund has extended financial support in fight against TB, the situation is still deplorable due to lacking coverage of treatment facilities to all the patients in most of the TB hit developing countries.
This was revealed by speakers at different functions held in connection with the World TB Day observed here on Thursday like other parts of the country and rest of the world with a renewed pledge that efforts for elimination of tuberculosis will continue to be made through dedicated efforts.
A spokesman of Pakistan Chest Society told Business Recorder here on Thursday that seminars, symposiums, walks, scientific sessions and various other programmes were held in which speakers said like other developing countries TB was also on the rise in Pakistan, therefore there was a need for launching a comprehensive campaign to check the disease. Apart from other reasons, poverty, lack of proper medical facilities and poor living standard were main reasons of the disease.
According to gynaecologists, tuberculosis is a contributing factor to more than 30 per cent of patients seeking medical treatment for infertility.
Pakistan, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), is the 5th leading country in terms of its tuberculosis population. They are also home to 44 per cent of TB cases in the entire eastern Mediterranean region. In the year 2001, the government declared tuberculosis situation as 'national emergency' and started off with implementing directly observed treatment strategy (DOTS) as the foremost tool in controlling the disease.
Under DOTS, which if implemented properly can ensure 95 per cent success rate in curing tuberculosis, the emphasis is on constant monitoring of the patient so that he takes medications on a regular basis.
This strategy would also reduce an overwhelming number of MDR TB cases, which are not only difficult to cure, but also require a lot of money - Rs 250,000 to Rs 300,000 to be precise for each patient.
With an existing prevalence of estimated 1.5 million TB cases with some sort of tuberculosis, the programme for spreading DOTS coverage to 100 per cent patient population by 2005 would require miraculous happenings, keeping in mind that at present only one in four or five new TB cases is ever diagnosed.
According to Professor Dr Saqib Saeed, Associate Professor of Chest Medicines Jinnah Hospital Lahore, Pakistan had around 20 per cent DOTS coverage for TB patients. Rest of the 80 per cent cases were either approaching the faith healers or relying on alternatives.
He stated the only specialised medical doctors could provide effective therapy against tuberculosis with DOTS being the methodology.
According to him, DOTS- the internationally approved treatment strategy for TB, was the most effective means of administering treatment, curing patients, reducing transmission and preventing the development of drug resistance.
Professor Saqib Saeed maintained TB was the most common infection among - and the leading killer of -people living with HIV/AIDS. HIV/TB co-infection has caused TB rates to soar in many countries, and the dangers posed by this spread were compounded by the appearance of drug-resistant strains. TB can be prevented and treated; unlike HIV, it can also be cured.
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