ISLAMABAD, Nov 22: The first stock of drugs for the treatment of active tuberculosis (TB) will arrive in Pakistan in the current month, WHO representative Dr Khalif Bile said.

Speaking at a farewell function arranged for federal health minister Dr Abdul Malik Kasi at the National Institute of Health (NIH), he said these drugs were procured through the assistance of international donors, covering all the essential medicines.

He said the first stock would be sufficient for three years. Pakistan is the sixth highest TB-burdened country in the world with 250,000 people attracting the disease every year.

Unicef representative Caroll Long, secretary health Ejaz Rahim and NIH executive director also spoke on the occasion.

Dr Kasi, speaking on the occasion, said the health problems being faced by the country were enormous, but the health ministry managed in allocating funds and their proper utilization to improve the situation.

He said direct observe treatment system for TB had been initiated as a national strategy, on which about Rs131 million was spent last year.

Similarly, Rs200 million was spent on women health project last year. A nutrition project was also approved, under which vitamin A, iron and iodine supplementation was institutionalized.

The minister said Rs290 million and Rs270 million were approved for the upgradation of Federal Government Services Hospital and Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, respectively. In addition to this, the budget of the National Institute of Handicapped was doubled in one year.

Dr Bile, in his speech, said Dr Kasi was instrumental in the introduction of Hepatitis-B vaccine in the national EPI programme for the first time. He also mentioned the health ministry’s efforts in undertaking the initiative of polio eradication. He said during Dr Kasi’s tenure, Pakistan obtained $75 million grant under the Global Alliance of Vaccine Initiative for procurement of vaccines, auto-destruct syringes etc.

In the past three years, Pakistan has scaled up its tuberculosis (TB) control programme, raising the coverage from five per cent to 45 per cent — the highest pace of growth compared to that in any other country.

The vaccine production in Pakistan had, for many years, suffered owing to the absence of a national regulatory authority that could maintain the quality and safety of indigenously produced vaccines, Dr Bile said, adding that by establishing this body, the ministry had paved the way for the NIH to work for the international certification of its vaccines.

He also mentioned the promulgation of an ordinance on breastfeeding and the control of aggressive marketing of mother’s milk substitute products in the country. He said the way Dr Kasi faced the challenge was a source of motivation and encouragement for everyone.