Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The National Institute of Health (NIH) along with the National Tuberculosis Control Programme colloaborated with World Health Organisation (WHO) and organised a TB Awareness Walk at NIH, with the theme of Wanted – Leaders for a TB-Free Pakistan.

The theme focused on the role of leaders in building commitment to end TB, not only at the political level but at all tiers. From community leaders, to people affected with TB, civil society advocates, health workers, doctors or nurses, non-governmental organisations and other partners, all can be leaders of efforts to end TB in their own area of work. The aim of the event was to create awareness about TB and to step up efforts to end the global TB epidemic.

On this occasion, Common Management Unit National Coordinator Brigadier Dr Aamer Ikram said that TB was a serious public health concern and drug resistance of TB cases was on rise in Pakistan. He also said that early diagnosis along with appropriate and complete treatment was the most effective way to prevent the disease. He said that the government was providing free of cost diagnostic and treatment facilities. He emphasised that awareness programmes can minimise the risk of disease and stigma in the society.

All the partners including WHO country office, students of College of Medical Laboratories Technology, senior officers of the NIH, National TB Control Programme, Expanded Programme on Immunisation and Health Services Academy participated in the walk.

Beside this activity, the NIH also issued an advisory to control and prevent TB. The main objectives of the advisory are to sensitise the healthcare authorities to strengthen TB control efforts and find missing TB cases which are the transmission source of the disease in the community and to improve the level of preparedness for control and prevention of TB at all levels.

According to the advisory, TB is an air-borne infection. Most common symptoms of TB are cough for more than two weeks, low grade fever, night sweats, loss of appetite or weight loss. These non-specific symptoms can lead to delays in seeking care and transmission of bacteria in the community. People with active TB can infect 10-15 other people through close contact over the course of a year.

Once infected, the risk of developing the disease is high in children less than years of age, adolescents, elderly, malnourished, the immune-compromised, people having HIV, diabetes and renal failure and also in smokers, if left untreated.

The advisory also highlighted that globally, 10.4 million people became infected with TB and 1.7 million died from the disease while in Pakistan, 518,000 developed the disease and only 69 percent of these were notified and put on treatment in 2016.

Through this advisory, the NIH has also advised the provincial and district governments and other stakeholders to adopt recommended measures for the control of TB.

Published in Daily Times, March 23^rd 2018.