KARACHI, Nov 21: The theme selected for the World TB Day 2003 falling on March 24 is “People with TB” ; the slogan is “DOTS cured me - it will cure you too!”

The theme has been chosen from over 100 entries submitted for consideration by many sources - health and community care workers, doctors and non-governmental organizations.

The theme stresses the need to involve people as advocates for the global TB control. It supports Case Detection and DOTS expansion as key objectives of the Global Plan to Stop TB.

Meanwhile, the “Global Plan to Stop Tuberculosis” published recently has discussed extensively the action and resources required over the next five years to expand, adapt, and improve the implementation of DOTS for controlling tuberculosis.

Prepared over the last two years, the Global Plan incorporates contributions from over 150 experts in TB control, public health and development around the world and has the backing of WHO, the World Bank and many other agencies involved in the global partnership to stop TB.

The plan mainly aims to help nations in meeting the 2005 global targets and setting the world on the road to the elimination of tuberculosis.

The Global Plan to Stop TB is all the more pertinent in the case of Pakistan which ranks eight on the list of the 23 high-burden countries in the world. The federal ministry of health declared tuberculosis a national emergency on March 24, 2001, and is taking concrete measures to expand DOTS in all provinces.

The country has around 1.5 million TB patients, while every year 250,000 new persons develop the disease causing a high morbidity and mortality rate.

Currently 40 per cent of the country’s population is being provided with DOTS facilities.—APP