Daily Times

Sir: TB has killed some great humans like Muhammad Ali Jinnah and John Keats. Alas! Streptomycin came too late. Its ten years earlier discovery may have changed the fate of Pakistan. However, this drug of choice has started to lose its potency due to ever increasing resistance in mycobacterium. There is a global resurgence of TB due to this phenomenon of drug resistance. However, in Pakistan we face some other TB-related problems as well. Our socioeconomic condition is not good so we do not use fresh vegetables, fruits and proteins. This good intake of nutrients can boost the immune system and protect us from this disease. Rooms in which many people sleep at night and have poor ventilation help increase the risk of TB. Milk that is not pasteurised or boiled can cause infection. An early detection and complete treatment can save many lives. Every year, this disease kills 70,000 Pakistanis and it is a staggering statistic indeed. Pakistan is the 27th most affected country in the world. Thank God we are not the first one in this case like Polio. Usually by TB we mean infection of the lungs but it can affect our skin, bones and brain as well.

MUHAMMAD ASHTAR
Islamabad