TB Seminar
To create awareness about TB and engaging both print and electronic media in raising awareness regarding tuberculosis in the country, National TB Control Program (NTP) arranged 2-day Consultative Meeting for the Editor & Media Representative at a hotel recently in Islamabad.
Speaking on the first day of the consultative meeting with the Editor, Dr. Noor Ahmad Baloch, National Program Manger, NTP said that TB is the world’s second common cause of death killing two million people annually.
He further said that Pakistan ranks eight among 22 countries in the world that have the highest burden of Multi-Drug Resistant (MDR) TB patients.
Every year almost 3,00,000 new TB patients added up to existent TB cases in Pakistan. TB disease is now completely preventable and curable, all it needs is a proper and complete treatment.
The fight against TB enabled the Ministry of Health to retrieve 74 percent of such cases but there is still need a lot of effort to eliminate the disease entirely.
TB now is no longer a deadly disease but a curable epidemic, however the stigma attached with TB need to be removed and therefore media can play a vital role in this regard.
He said that the treatment of TB requires continued medication for eight months. As many as 100 of health outlets across the country are providing free treatment and medicines to TB patients. Government of Pakistan is striving to facilitate 100 per cent treatment for TB patients.
He said every year international monitoring team visits Pakistan to monitor government steps for the prevention of TB disease.
He said over 5000 health centre are providing free treatment to the TB patients.
He urged the media to play its due role in creating awareness among the masses as media can play a catalyst role in the society.
He said that a major awareness campaign including workshops and seminars would be organized by NTP in different parts of the country. He urged the masses that by awareness campaign they should take benefit from the facilities being extended for the treatment of the deadly disease to root it out from the country.
Replying to a question, Dr Noor. Ahmad Baloch said T.B. disease spread rapidly among people living in unhygienic atmosphere, having less power of resistance and by spitting of the TB patients.
Dr. Muhammad Tariq, Technical Advisor, National TB Control Program through his presentation briefed the participants about the current TB DOT situation in Pakistan and overall objectives of NTP to reduce the TB burden from the country.
He said social stigma attached to TB are afflicting the TB sufferers. On the other hand, illetracy rate is also effecting the TB situation in Pakistan. The country had already achieved 100 per cent TB DOTS coverage in 2005. As many as 5000 TB treatment and 1150 diagnostic centers had been set up to provide free treatment to the TB patients.
He said different hospitals have been engaged to provide free treatment across the country besides enhancing laboratories network for the proper diagnostic of the disease. Eight month proper treatment help to get rid from this deadliest disease.
He said advocacy, communication and social mobilization is an integral parts of NTP that focuses on improving case detection and treatment. He said media role is very important to create awareness against the TB burden.
Speaking on the second day of the consultative meeting with the media representative, Dr. Noor Ahmad Baloch, National Program Manger, NTP said that he have high hopes from the both print and electronic media for creating awareness among the masses regarding the disease.
TB is thousands years ancient disease and so is the stigma attached to it. TB now should not be taken as a stigma anymore as the disease has complete treatment and the patient can recover after successful completion of the eight-month DOTS programme.
He further said that the Government of Pakistan has therefore given high priority to TB in 2001 when it was declared a national emergency. NTP has expanded the WHO recommended TB control strategy i.e. DOTS throughout the health services of the Ministry of Health by May 2005”.
National TB Control Programme along with its provincial departments in all four provinces is providing diagnosis and treatment facilities at all public health centres. General practitioners had also been trained to provide treatment services to the coming patients. Enough medicines are available to provide free of cost treatment to the TB patients in all four provinces.
He said, media role is important in dissemination of information regarding the disease. He asked the media persons to play their due role for control of disease in the country.
He asked for making joint efforts to eliminate tuberculosis from the country and sensitise the masses about the preventive measures.
Dr. Muhmmad Tariq, Technical Advisor, National TB Control Program on the occasion said that there are over 5,000 diagnostic and treatment centres functioning throughout the country. Pakistan shares 55 per cent of the total number of detected cases in the Eastern Mediterranean Region and since the year 2001, 800,000 patients have been registered for treatment, 85 per cent of them had successfully completed their treatment.
He said Pakistan ranks on 8th among the 22 high burden countries and 300,000 TB patients are diagnosed annually. Advocacy, communication and Social Mobilization has been used successfully by NTP to address the key challenges faced in the fight against TB.
He said different levels of health facilities within public sector have been engaged to provide free treatment across the country besides enhancing laboratories network for the proper diagnostic of the disease. Eight month proper treatment helps to get rid from Tuberculosis.
In the end, Dr. Noor Ahmed Baloch, National Program Manager, National TB Control Program awarded certificate to editors and media representative for their participation in the consultative meeting.