IT troubles me to hear about the health issues in our country. Not only do we have a HIV outbreak in Ratodero and Turbat, we also have polio, drug-resistant typhoid, hepatitis and tuberculosis as well.

Tuberculosis or TB as it is commonly known, is the disease that also took the life of the founder of our country, Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. It is a bacterial infection spread through inhaling tiny droplets from the coughs or sneezes of an infected person. It mainly affects the lungs but can affect any part of the body such as the abdomen, bones and nervous system. It is also a leading killer of people with HIV.

Symptoms include a persistent cough that lasts more than three weeks and usually brings up phlegm, which may be bloody, weight loss, night sweats, fever, loss of appetite, swelling in the neck, tiredness and fatigue. Doctors claim that while it is a serious condition, it can be cured if treated properly with antibiotics.

According to the World Health Organisation, Pakistan, with an estimated 510,000 new TB cases emerging e ach year and approximately 15,000 developing drug resistant TB cases each year, is ranked fifth among high-burden countries.

Some reasons for the drug resistance are delays in diagnosis, lack of follow-ups and unsupervised and inadequate drug regimens.

Alijan Dilwash
Karki

Published in Dawn, June 18th, 2019