ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: About 300,000 new tuberculosis cases are diagnosed and treated free of charge every year in Pakistan through countrywide network of 1500 TB care facilities, National Program Manager Tuberculosis Control Dr Ejaz Qadeer said on Thursday.
In an interview to the state-run news agency on World TB Day 2016 observed on March 24 every year, he said still more than one third of TB cases in the country remain undetected.
He said TB is a major public health issue in Pakistan, which ranks 4th worldwide for TB cases.
More than 2000 General Practitioners are involved in 66 districts contributing towards 20 percent of TB case notification, he said adding E-surveillance system is being implemented to manage online case based data in 114 districts.
He said National TB Control Program (NTP) has developed a strategic plan for TB titled as “Vision 2020” and will strive for TB free Pakistan by reducing 50 percent prevalence of the disease in general population by 2025 in comparison to 2012 through universal access to quality care for achieving Zero TB Death.
According to Dr Ejaz, TB is 100 percent curable if timely treated with quality assured antituberculosis drugs with right dosages and right duration under supervision of a doctor.
TB diagnosis and treatment is available free of cost across the country in public and private sector healthcare facilities.
Any person having persistent cough for more than two weeks must go for sputum examination from a nearby diagnostic center for TB.
Dr Ejaz Qadeer said TB germs spread through coughing and sneezing and patients should cover their mouth while coughing and sneezing.
Always complete TB treatment as prescribed by a registered doctor.
TB does not spread through eating together, by sharing clothes, marital relation, during pregnancy to new born or through blood transfusion and sunlight and good ventilation reduce the risk of spread of TB, he added.
Dr Ejaz said a steady progress has been witnessed from 2011 to improve the case notification and treatment success of both drug susceptible and drug resistant TB cases at all levels of health care through World Health Organization recommended standardized regimen.
The regimen ensures uninterrupted supply of anti TB drugs, establishing a network of quality assured smear microscopy, introduction of innovative and rapid diagnostic tools like gene X-pert, improving TB drug management and engaging all care providers.
He said NTP continued to perform TB control activities under highly volatile law and order situation in the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) on one hand and the most difficult terrain and geographical landscape in the regions of Gilgit Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir on the other.
NTP conducted one of the largest countrywide surveys to assess the TB burden on scientific basis in Pakistan. It also conducted first ever drug resistance survey in 2012-13 to assess the disease burden of drug resistant TB cases.
The program has successfully tapped the opportunity for financial support to address the funding gap for TB care in Pakistan through the Global Fund.
It is focusing on reaching the missed cases through innovative active case finding strategies in health care, household and community settings including prisons, mines and crowded places.
Dr Ejaz said Public Private Mix (PPM) and civil society involvement is an integral part of WHO recommended “Stop TB Strategy”.
NTP has taken initiatives to involve and engage a lot of technical, financial and implementing partners including USAID, WHO, Global Fund, Greenstar, Mercy Corps, Bridge Foundation and Pakistan Anti TB Association.
Now it is widening its circle of integration with other organizations like Pakistan Chest Society, Pakistan Medical Association and other active NGOs, for TB care and control.
