An aggressive nation-wide campaign to raise awareness about the killer tuberculosis (TB) disease is vital to boost access to free treatment at public health centers to cure the condition.
"TB is curable, treatable. We want patients to visit health centers to cure it, particularly women. If any one comes across a person with a cough, throat problem or fever for more than three weeks, they should go for a proper medical examination for TB," Professor Dr Amir Nazir, Incharge Government Model Chest Clinic, Sir Gangaram Hospital, while talking to Business Recorder, here on Saturday.
'Tuberculosis is endemic in Pakistan with about 1.5 million people infected, and it ranks sixth among the 22 high-burden tuberculosis countries world-wide', Amir said.
"An estimated 250,000 fresh cases of TB develop across the country every year, with nearly 80 percent occurring among young people aged between 15 and 49. Economically speaking, it's a big burden as this is the most productive age," he pointed out.
In Pakistan, TB treatment is integrated in the primary healthcare network of Basic Health Units (BHUs) or is provided at homes through Lady Health Visitors (LHVs). Treatment is free for a period of eight months, Amir said.
In 2000, the country started implementing the WHO recommended Directly Observed Therapy Short (DOTS) courses to reduce TB and has covered much of the country except isolated parts of Balochistan and Punjab provinces, he further said.
Although the TB cure rate in Pakistan is some 78 percent; a lot of effort needs to be made to improve the detection rate, which is still very low at about 27 percent, he said.
'Poverty, overcrowding, malnourishment, HIV infection and other factors that can make the body's immune system weaker, make people susceptible to TB. As TB is a communicable disease and spreads through air, people who have a continuous and long exposure to a TB patient are more at risk,' he concluded.
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