To celebrate World TB Day 2013, Ojha Institute of Chest Disease, Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) in collaboration with Stop TB Partnership Pakistan, National TB Control Program, Provincial TB Control Program and Bridge Consultant organized a ‘Stop TB Walk and Awareness Seminar’ at its Ojha Campus.
The Walk was led Sardar Yasin Malik, Minister for Auqaf & Religious Affairs and Prof. Masood Hameed Khan, Vice Chancellor DUHS & Chairman Stop TB Partnership Pakistan and was accompanied by senior faculty members of DUHS beside eminent personality including Behroz Sabzwari, representatives of National TB Control Program, Provincial TB Control Program, Bridge Consultant and APWA, union councils, doctors, paramedical staff as well as students.
The Walk started from Ojha Institute of Chest Disease and ended up at Dow International Medical College. Participants of the walk were carrying placards and banners inscribed with slogans to improve public awareness, fight against TB and not to give u.
Addressing the Seminar, Prof. Masood Hameed Khan said that incomplete treatment of TB makes it most dangerous to MDR TB and the treatment of MDR TB is not only difficult but expensive 0.5 million per patients but DUHS is providing free of cost treatment to all TB and MDR TB patients reaching the OICD.
He said that great strides have been made to control and cure TB, but this disease is still a problem and therefore more efforts should be done so that one day TB will be eliminated. He also stressed on the need to create mass awareness in order to reduce this ailment from our country.
He also announced to develop a “TB Control Room” on war footing basis in Dow University Ojha Campus for detecting TB cases, creating awareness and for developing strategic plan in order to reduce the menace of TB from the province. The University will establish TB Control Room from its own resources.
Sardar Yasin Malik, Minister for Auqaf & Religious Affairs in his address announced 1 million grant for Ojha TB Hospital. He emphasized on the need to carry out research in the preparation of TB drugs. He informed that TB drug are resistant therefore research is very important in this cause.
Prof. Muhammad Masroor, Principal, Dow International Medical College in his welcome address said that OICD being 225 bedded hospital is one of the best TB hospital of Karachi. The existing facilities for the diagnosis, management and treatment of Tuberculosis have been greatly expanded. Patients from all over Pakistan come here and get treated free of cost. It has been recognized as a center of excellence for Tuberculosis by the World Health Organization. OICD till December 2012 has treated 1,73,476 TB patients free of cost. There is need to create joint program to fight against this disease. In 2012, 4945 patients have been registered with TB disease.
Others who spoke on the occasion includes Dr. Iqbal Pirzada, Dr. Ejaz Qadeer, Dr. Ismat Ara and Behroz Sabzwari.
STOP TB PARTNERSHIP MEETING
After the Seminar, the first Stop TB Partnership Pakistan Meeting was held at DIMC which was chaired by Prof. Masood Hameed Khan, Vice Chancellor, DUHS and Chairman, Stop TB Partnership Pakistan.
Representative from Stop TB Partnership Pakistan, World Health Organization, Aga Khan University Hospital, National TB Control Program, Provincial TB Control Program, Pakistan Chest Society, Bridge Consultant, Local Pharma Companies attended the Meeting.
The objectives of the meeting is to create national response to the problem of TB, act as a platform for agencies and stakeholders to contribute to fight against TB, raise additional resources and implementation of TB as a notifyable diseases in the legislation.
Prof. Masood Hameed Khan sharing his views said that TB kills nearly two million every year, 5000 every year mainly in the poorest communities in the developing world. It afflicts million more. About one third of the world population is infected with TB. It mostly affects younger population. In EMRO region, Pakistan contributes 61% of the total population.
The Stop TB Partnership Pakistan program has been established by WHO which will work as a voluntary alliance between organization drawn from different sectors of the society who commit to work collaboratively towards the TB prevention, care and control in which all partners contribute from their core competencies, share risk and responsibility and benefit by achieving their own, each other and the overall goal.
The Members of the Meeting stressed that Govt should be engaged and come forward in the fight against TB, Govt should allocate more fund for TB and policy makers should make TB as their first priority in their agenda. Discussing future plan, they agreed that there is need to secure funds for the treatment of sensitive TB cases.