KARACHI, Feb 25: An international mission, visiting Sindh to review the provincial TB-DOTS programme, has recommended an improvement in the new TB positive cases' detection which currently stands to 43 per cent against a set target of 75 per cent for the year 2004.

Dr Javed Sheikh, acting operations officer, WHO-Sindh, told APP here on Friday that the mission, headed by Dr Akihiro Seita, Regional Adviser, WHO/EMRO also suggested concerted efforts to raise the current treatment success rate of 80 per cent targeted to 85 per cent.

The mission which arrived on Monday with main focus to assess quality of TB-DOTS services, including laboratory services being provided to local patients, made random visits to Sindh Government Hospital, New Karachi, Government Dispensary at Shah Faisal Colony, Taluka Hospital, Rato Dero, Rural Health Center, Nau Dero and Chandka Medical College.

It expressed satisfaction that 100 per cent DOTS coverage had been ensured at public sector. The mission during its stay also evaluated steps taken for initiating public-private partnerships and efforts towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) with regard to the control of tuberculosis.

With the very purpose, Ziauddin University Hospital and the area where it is engaged in community health care services besides Aga Khan Clinic at Garden were also visited by the mission.

Linkages developed by the National TB Control Programme with other national programmes and initiatives as HIV/AIDS, Nutrition, Maternal and Neonatal Health and National Programme on Family Planning and Primary Health Care were also be reviewed by the International Mission.

The National TB Control Programme has selected few districts from each province to be reviewed by the mission, including Karachi and Larkana in Sindh. In Sindh, where universal DOTS coverage was achieved in November 2003, the provincial Directorate of Tuberculosis Control is in the process of eliminating the micro-problems in the field.

The macro-indicators are, however, quite encouraging particularly in comparison with other provinces. Nevertheless there is a need to consolidate the programme at all levels by addressing all governance and conceptual bottlenecks.

Sources said a total of 30,325 cases of all types of tuberculosis were detected in the province out of which 11,980 were smear positive. In Karachi, a total of 7,748 TB cases, including 3,449 smear positive cases, were detected. The team visited the Sikanderabad Community Centre and conducted an in-depth review of the TB DOTS Programme in Sikanderabad. - APP