PESHAWAR, March 19: Press Information Secretary of Pakistan Chest Society, NWFP, Dr Taj Mohammad has stressed the need for increasing efforts to check increasing rate of tuberculosis (TB) in the country. Talking to APP in connection with World TB Day, to be celebrated on March 24 by World Health Organization (WHO), Dr Taj said increased efforts should be taken for controlling this disease which becomes a serious threat for under-developed countries. In Pakistan, he said, 250,000 people got infected every year and in the NWFP the number had risen to 40,000. This disease effected the reproductive age, i.e., between 14-45 years of life and in result the family suffered both economically and socially, he added.

The World Health organization has declared TB as global emergency in 1993 and declared DOTS (directly observed treatment short course) as the most proper way to treat and overcome the disease.

The DOTS, he said, was introduced for the first time in district Peshawar and now more than 150 diagnostic centres and DOTS TB control programme were now available in the 24 districts of NWFP. In these DOT centres free sputum microscopy was being carried out free, he said.

In Peshawar district there were 17 treatment centres in town I, 17 in town II, 11 in town III, and 16 in town IV which are providing free treatment facility under the supervision of district TB control officer Dr. Shaukat Ali.

Under the Provincial TB Control programme, doctors, paramedics and laboratory staff have been trained in the whole province and 86 percent success has been achieved in controlling TB.

National TB Control Programme, WHO, GTZ, ACD, Anti TB Association and Pakistan Chest Society also played their active role in controlling TB, he added.

About TB symptoms, he said, these included cough for more than three weeks, fever, loss of appetite, weight loss, chest pain, coughing of blood, night sweat and gradual weakness of the patients.

With the above symptoms one should go to any health facility for diagnoses and treatment available at every health facilities in the province under DOTS TB Control programme, Dr. Taj advised. He said BCG vaccination also played important role for the prevention of TB and its complications for example Millary Tuberculosis and TB Meningitis.—APP