ISLAMABAD: Another 10-year plan for the eradication of the tuberculosis (TB) from the country has been prepared, which would also involve the private health sector in the aim of reducing TB cases by 70 per cent.

National TB Programme Manager Dr Ejaz Qadeer shared this information with the participants of a media consultation held at a local hotel on Thursday.

Dr Qadeer said that annually 300,000 people including 15,000 children become infected with the TB virus.

He said the programme, worth $900 million, would also try to reduce ‘catastrophic’ health expenditure defined as a case where 25 per cent of a person’s income is spent on medicines and treatment.

Training and equipment would also be provided to private clinics and hospitals

Under the programme, he said, private hospitals, clinics and general physicians would be involved and their staff would be trained.

“Moreover, laboratory equipment would be provided for TB diagnoses to private healthcare centres as neighbourhood clinics receive the highest number of patients. Clinics would also be required to share data with patients,” he said.

The National TB Programme Manager informed the participants that chest camps would be organised in 88 districts and people who have had a cough for over two weeks would be invited for a check-up. Religious leaders, school teachers, print and electronic media personnel would also be asked to play their role in raising awareness about TB in communities, he said.

He said that one person can transfer the TB virus to over 100 persons while breathing, coughing and sneezing.

“There are two billion people in the world who carry the TB virus which could be activated anytime. Pakistan is ranked fourth among countries with the highest number of TB patients and there are only a few thousand treatment centres for TB patients,” he said.

Responding to a query, Dr Qadeer said a large portion of the contribution for this programme would come from the Global Fund to Fight Aida, Tuberculosis and Malaria while 20 to 30 per cent funding would be provided by the government of Pakistan.

In response to a question regarding the issues raised in the audit of the national programme by the Global Fund, Dr Qadeer said some questions have been raised but they would be clarified by his office.

National TB Programme Adviser Dr Abdul Ghafoor said that Rs7,000 are spent on the six-month-long treatment of each patient but patients who do not take their medicine regularly or stop taking their medicine become Multiple Drug Resistant (MDR) TB patient.

“MDR TB patients cannot be treated with regular medicine because the virus they carry is immune to the medicine, even when it is transferred to another patient. Medicines worth Rs500,000 are needed for a treatment carried out over MRD TB patient,” he said.

Dr Ghafoor added that Rs600 is given as social support by the programme to MRD TB patients to cover the expense of visiting a hospital or treatment centre as TB is a poverty driven disease.

Rawalpindi Islamabad Union of Journalists President Ali Raza Alvi said that consultations with media personnel on TB should be held in all districts and offered the National Press Club’s support in raising awareness.

“Moreover, there are press clubs in every district, which can be involved in sensitising people about TB,” he said.

Published in Dawn, July 31st, 2015

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