KARACHI: TB incidence alarming in country, say experts
KARACHI, March 21: Pakistan shares the sixth highest burden of TB cases registered across the globe in a situation where 350,000 new cases of the diseases are added to the already existent tuberculosis inflicted people. This was stated by health experts while addressing a seminar organized by the Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Section of Aga Khan University Hospital on Tuesday. The seminar was organized to commemorate World TB Day being observed on March 24.
They also referred to WHO estimates showing presence of three million cases of Active TB in Pakistan.
Experts including Dr Nadeem Rizvi, Dr Ahmed Suleman Haque, Dr Rumina Hassan, Dr Mohammad Wassay, Dr Mohammad Irfan, Dr Ali bin Sarwar Zubeiri and Dr Nisar Ahmed Rao made their respective presentations on the occasion.
Dr Ahmed Suleman referred to a locally conducted study showing very small percentage of local physicians capable to write appropriate and adequate prescription. He also mentioned that non-standardized drug formulations had emerged as a serious problem, as of the total 35 of formulations available in the country 30 were found not conforming to the literature provided with these.
He advised physicians to make proper assessment, write appropriate prescription, and refer cases if found not responding to provided therapy without any unnecessary delay adding that equal responsibility lies upon general physicians as well as specialists to educate patients about importance of drug compliance and necessary precautions.
Dr Rumina Hassan talked about “New diagnosis in tuberculosis: trends and considerations”. The expert from pathology and biology department of AKU observed that though a variety of diagnostic tools were available, most of these needed evaluation in endemic settings.
She also maintained that conventional smear and culture methods remain essential for TB diagnostics adding that in developing countries, molecular and immunological methods had a place in reference laboratories as part of TB control programmes.
Dr Mohammad Wasay discussing “Managing Central Nervous System Tuberculosis” said the particular type of TB is not uncommon in Pakistan with 20 per cent mortality rate.
Mentioning that majority of patients are treated based on highly suspected diagnosis, he said that paradixical response in these patients pose a dilemma. “Most patients require careful exam, MRI and CSF evaluation,” he suggested.
Dr Nadeem Rizvi, the head of JPMC’s chest medicine department, said the TB Day 2006 will focus on the efforts of frontline TB care providers and their crucial role in stopping tuberculosis.
Mentioning that the theme for current year is “Action for life towards TB-free world”, he said that despite inception of DOTS strategy across the country, the TB case detection had not gone above 35 per cent against the target of minimum 75 per cent by 2005.
He said that Pakistan with 139,605 identified TB cases was currently offering Direct Observation Treatment Strategy in cent per cent of public sector health care facilities. But active involvement of private sector with proper surveillance was urgently needed, he elaborated.
Prevalence of tuberculosis was attributed to poor public awareness and also lack of public confidence on public sector facilities and above all non-involvement of general physicians in the DOTS campaign against tuberculosis.
TB cases of smear positive currently stands at one out of thousand, he said mentioning that these are the cases which are extremely infectious and hold high chances to be contracted by healthy individuals.—APP
