Speakers at different functions held here on Saturday to mark the 'World Tuberculosis Day' expressed grave concern over surge in the cases of tuberculosis and called for waging a jehad against the disease to make Pakistan a TB-free country.
According to Professor Dr Aamir Nazir, spokesman of Chest Society of Pakistan, different organisations organised functions to mark the day. Speakers in these functions said that tuberculosis is a fatal disease, but it can be cured if regular treatment is ensured. Around 2.5 million people are suffering from tuberculosis (TB) in the country and some 250,000 new patients are being added to this number every year, they added.
They cautioned that the TB treatment may have some side effects, but patients should not at any cost suspend the use of medicines, as this could prove disastrous. Treatment cost is normally not more than Rs 3,000, but the cure for the resistant TB strain is very costly, lengthy and as yet not even 100 percent sure, they added.
Under the national programme of directly observed treatment (DOT), TB patients are administered medicines by the paramedics themselves, thus ruling out any break in the treatment. Each TB patient can infect up to 15 to 20 healthy persons, they observed.
The speakers said that the government has improved the TB detection system due to which TB cases are being properly treated. The government is successfully implementing its DOTS programme under which free diagnostic and treatment services are being provided in every district of the country, they added. They said it is high time to start joint efforts in fight against diseases like polio, tuberculosis and malaria for their complete elimination.
The Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM) has approved a grant of 56 million US dollars for control and prevention of Tuberculosis in the country. GFATM has approved this huge amount as a grant in recognition of Pakistan's efforts in the area of health care in general and for fight against TB in particular, they added.