LAHORE: Pakistan has the fifth largest number of tuberculosis patients in the world where more than 400,000 people are suffering from the disease every year.

This was stated by the provincial coordinator of tuberculosis programme Punjab Health Department Dr Drakshan Badar while giving a briefing to the media on World TB Day on Sunday.

The coordinator said a screening programme was being started in 36 districts of Punjab to detect childhood tuberculosis.

"The programme was earlier on being implemented in only 12 districts," she added.

The consultative meeting and press briefing was arranged with the collaboration of NGO Mercy Corps and Global Fund, which is working for preventing tuberculosis.

Dr Drakshan Badar said that TB patients now had to take medicines only six months without any break which was being given to the patient directly under DOTS programme. She said the number of TB patients was increasing who did not complete their treatment, due to which the disease had become more complicated and fatal.

She urged the media to create awareness among the people so that TB patients would continue medicines until complete recovery.

Dr Drakshan Badar disclosed that free medicines were being provided to TB patients under the Punjab TB control programme in hospitals and health centers throughout the province.

She said poverty, increasing population, spread of cities without planning, lack of civic amenities and shortage of food were basic causes of tuberculosis.

She said diagnostic and treatment facilities had also been provided in jails to detect TB in prisoners.

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