Muhammad Qasim : July 08, 2011
The primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities in this region of the country have been receiving significant influx of patients with tuberculosis and the number of patients with TB being registered at the allied hospitals is continuously on the rise.
Health experts say that the number of patients with TB all across the country is on the rise and the problem is getting worse with increase in the number of cases of drug-resistant TB.
“The situation is becoming alarming as Pakistan ranks 6th among countries having drug-resistant TB,” said medical specialist at Benazir Bhutto Hospital Dr. Muhammad Haroon while talking to ‘The News’ on Thursday.
He said that Pakistan has over 170,000 registered patients of drug resistant TB while the number of unregistered patients might be many more. The number of patients with drug resistant TB being registered at the allied hospitals here in the town is continuously on the rise, however, no attention has so far been paid to the problem by the concerned government authorities.
XDR-TB is resistant to routine anti-TB drugs as well as second line drugs. The mortality rate is 80 to 88 per cent after complications and recurrence is very common and almost invariably fatal, said Dr Haroon.
He said that XDR-TB is considered as more dangerous than bio-warfare organisms like anthrax and small pox as a single patient of it is enough to kill hundreds by coughing in crowded places like public transport vehicles, offices and schools.
Studies reveal that current default rate in Pakistani TB patients is 11%, which leads to Multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) and in some cases extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB), which is the most dangerous form of TB with no treatment.
According to estimates, over 1.6 million suffer from TB in Pakistan; more than 410,000 new cases add up to the country’s escalating TB burden every year with prevalence of 373 cases per 100,000 population and incidence of 231per 100,000 population and the number is constantly increasing due to lack of adequate precautionary measures.
It is important that left untreated, one person with active TB might infect 10 to 15 people during one year. The delay in diagnosis, unsupervised, inappropriate and inadequate drug regimens, poor follow-up and lack of social support programme for high risk populations are some of the reasons for not reaching the target
cure rates and emergence of drug resistant forms of tuberculosis.
TB is one of the oldest diseases caused by a rod-shaped bacteria also found in the mummies of Egypt showing its ancient origin. It can affect any part of the body including brain, bones, lungs, heart, eyes and skin, said Dr Haroon.
The occurrence of XDR-TB in Pakistan has increased from 1.5 per cent in 2006, to 4.5 per cent in 2009, said Dr Haroon adding urgent measures are required to avoid exponential rise in XDR-TB. He said that the problem should be taken as a regional issue.
Associate Professor of Medicine and renowned pulmonologist at Rawalpindi Medical College Dr Nadeem Iqbal Sheikh when contacted by ‘The News’ Thursday said that the number of cases of drug resistant TB is on the rise all across the country because of lack of drugs and anti-biotic policy.
Like other hospitals of the country, the allied hospitals in the town have no anti-biotic policy that is causing rise in drug resistant diseases including TB. “Lack of rational use of drugs particularly antibiotics and anti-TB drugs are making the situation more and more alarming with the passage of every day,” said Dr Sheikh.
He said that drugs for treatment of TB are free but most of the patients do not follow the ideal protocol and leave treatment incomplete that is a major reason behind spread of drug resistant TB.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=56545&Cat=6&dt=7/8/2011
Showing posts with label Tuberculosis statistics(Pakistan). Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tuberculosis statistics(Pakistan). Show all posts
Monday, 18 July 2011
Monday, 30 May 2011
TUBERCULOSIS: Pakistan: Over 10,500 cases of tuberculosis reported in one month
PPI : May 26, 2011
ISLAMABAD: As many as 10,831 new cases of tuberculosis have been reported at state-run healthcare facilities in 35 districts across Pakistan during February 2011. This alarming number is a cause of serious concern for the government particularly in the Punjab province that accounted for 86% of the reported cases in 18 districts.
According to FAFEN’s monthly Health Scan, the number of confirmed cases of TB reported in February 2011 is double than the 4,910 cases of the disease reported a month earlier in 37 districts.
FAFEN Monitors collected the data of disease cases from district health offices in 64 districts for February 2011. Executive District Officer (EDO)/Health offices in 24 districts of Punjab, 18 districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 13 districts in Sindh and seven districts in Balochistan, as well as the office of the Agency Surgeon Health (ASH) in FR Peshawar, and that of the office of Health Management Information System (HMIS) in ICT shared the requested information with FAFEN Monitors.
Malaria decrease
Incidence of malaria decreased in February as compared to the preceding month, but it continued to be the most-recorded disease. Malaria constituted 92% of the total 80,367 reported cases of viral diseases in the country in February 2011.
This means that overall cases of viral diseases can be significantly reduced if malaria is controlled. Although a reprieve can be expected due to the extreme heat of the coming summer months in many parts of the country, preventive measures such as mosquito nets, repellants, and insecticides should still be used to keep it at bay. Malaria was most notable in February 2011 in Sindh, where 13 districts reported 57% of all malaria cases recorded nationwide.
Poliomyelitis
The number of reported cases of probable poliomyelitis has also jumped from the previous month. The disease has been reported in monitored districts of Punjab for the first time since November 2010. A total of 47 cases of probable poliomyelitis were reported – 37 in Khushab and eight in DG Khan districts of Punjab, and two in Umerkot district of Sindh.
The most commonly observed diseases in the country were also those whose transmission is aided by particular conditions of environment and hygiene, such as TB and malaria. In line with trends observed in previous months, acute respiratory infections (ARIs) were the most reported set of diseases, making 63% of all reported cases of disease followed by diarrhea and dysentery taken together (12%), scabies (11%), malaria (5%) and gastroenteritis (4%).
http://tribune.com.pk/story/176474/over-10500-cases-of-tuberculosis-reported-in-one-month/
ISLAMABAD: As many as 10,831 new cases of tuberculosis have been reported at state-run healthcare facilities in 35 districts across Pakistan during February 2011. This alarming number is a cause of serious concern for the government particularly in the Punjab province that accounted for 86% of the reported cases in 18 districts.
According to FAFEN’s monthly Health Scan, the number of confirmed cases of TB reported in February 2011 is double than the 4,910 cases of the disease reported a month earlier in 37 districts.
FAFEN Monitors collected the data of disease cases from district health offices in 64 districts for February 2011. Executive District Officer (EDO)/Health offices in 24 districts of Punjab, 18 districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 13 districts in Sindh and seven districts in Balochistan, as well as the office of the Agency Surgeon Health (ASH) in FR Peshawar, and that of the office of Health Management Information System (HMIS) in ICT shared the requested information with FAFEN Monitors.
Malaria decrease
Incidence of malaria decreased in February as compared to the preceding month, but it continued to be the most-recorded disease. Malaria constituted 92% of the total 80,367 reported cases of viral diseases in the country in February 2011.
This means that overall cases of viral diseases can be significantly reduced if malaria is controlled. Although a reprieve can be expected due to the extreme heat of the coming summer months in many parts of the country, preventive measures such as mosquito nets, repellants, and insecticides should still be used to keep it at bay. Malaria was most notable in February 2011 in Sindh, where 13 districts reported 57% of all malaria cases recorded nationwide.
Poliomyelitis
The number of reported cases of probable poliomyelitis has also jumped from the previous month. The disease has been reported in monitored districts of Punjab for the first time since November 2010. A total of 47 cases of probable poliomyelitis were reported – 37 in Khushab and eight in DG Khan districts of Punjab, and two in Umerkot district of Sindh.
The most commonly observed diseases in the country were also those whose transmission is aided by particular conditions of environment and hygiene, such as TB and malaria. In line with trends observed in previous months, acute respiratory infections (ARIs) were the most reported set of diseases, making 63% of all reported cases of disease followed by diarrhea and dysentery taken together (12%), scabies (11%), malaria (5%) and gastroenteritis (4%).
http://tribune.com.pk/story/176474/over-10500-cases-of-tuberculosis-reported-in-one-month/
Tuesday, 5 April 2011
TUBERCULOSIS: Pakistan: Over 3,000 in Swat suffer from Tuberculosis
Fazal Khaliq: April 1, 2011
The number of Tuberculosis patients in Swat has risen to over 3,000 despite a government-sponsored disease control programme, The Express Tribune has learnt.
“Of the 3,300 known cases, 1,400 people have been treated free of charge and the others are under proper treatment,” said Dr Mushtaq, who is incharge of the National Tuberculosis Control Programme (NTP) in Swat.
Tuberculosis, also known as TB, was declared a national danger by the Pakistan government in 2001 and the NTB was initiated to arrest the disease’s spread until 2012.
Speaking about the spread of TB in Swat, he said the two main causes were poor nutrition and lack of sanitation which are both directly connected to poverty. “Swat went through mayhem [during Talibanisation and the army operation] and then, it was hit by the floods. Poverty levels increased, particularly in rural areas where people are more prone to contract TB,” he said.
Pakistan ranks eighth on the list of 22 high-burden TB countries in the world. About nine million fresh TB cases are reported globally every year, of which 0.3 million are from Pakistan.
Dr Mushtaq said that although TB is a dangerous disease, it is curable and can be treated for free in many hospitals. “[But] religious scholars, teachers and civil society members need to create awareness about the disease in order to eradicate it,” he said.
But while NTP professionals claim success, other doctors point out flaws with their data.
“The most alarming thing about the disease is that people who live in far-flung areas are inaccessible,” says Swat-based Dr Ihsan. “They don’t go to hospitals. So they are not included in data collection and this means that figures collected by the TB control programme may not be very authentic. Rural areas need to be given more attention.”
http://tribune.com.pk/story/140784/over-3000-in-swat-suffer-from-tuberculosis/
The number of Tuberculosis patients in Swat has risen to over 3,000 despite a government-sponsored disease control programme, The Express Tribune has learnt.
“Of the 3,300 known cases, 1,400 people have been treated free of charge and the others are under proper treatment,” said Dr Mushtaq, who is incharge of the National Tuberculosis Control Programme (NTP) in Swat.
Tuberculosis, also known as TB, was declared a national danger by the Pakistan government in 2001 and the NTB was initiated to arrest the disease’s spread until 2012.
Speaking about the spread of TB in Swat, he said the two main causes were poor nutrition and lack of sanitation which are both directly connected to poverty. “Swat went through mayhem [during Talibanisation and the army operation] and then, it was hit by the floods. Poverty levels increased, particularly in rural areas where people are more prone to contract TB,” he said.
Pakistan ranks eighth on the list of 22 high-burden TB countries in the world. About nine million fresh TB cases are reported globally every year, of which 0.3 million are from Pakistan.
Dr Mushtaq said that although TB is a dangerous disease, it is curable and can be treated for free in many hospitals. “[But] religious scholars, teachers and civil society members need to create awareness about the disease in order to eradicate it,” he said.
But while NTP professionals claim success, other doctors point out flaws with their data.
“The most alarming thing about the disease is that people who live in far-flung areas are inaccessible,” says Swat-based Dr Ihsan. “They don’t go to hospitals. So they are not included in data collection and this means that figures collected by the TB control programme may not be very authentic. Rural areas need to be given more attention.”
http://tribune.com.pk/story/140784/over-3000-in-swat-suffer-from-tuberculosis/
Monday, 21 March 2011
TUBERCULOSIS: Pakistan: Tuberculosis claims 68,000 lives annually
haris hanif
KARACHI: Experts at a seminar said on Saturday that Tuberculosis (TB) claims 68,000 lives annually in the country while an untreated patient transfers the disease to 10-15 people during this period.
They informed this at a seminar organised by the Ojha Institute of Chest Diseases of Dow University of Health Sciences at its campus to mark the World Tuberculosis (TB) Day here on Saturday. A walk and a drama skit were also organised on this occasion.
The walk was led by Secretary Health Syed Hashim Raza Zaidi and Vice Chancellor DUHS Prof. Masood Hameed Khan. The speakers said that TB is a deadly disease and at present 0.7 million people were suffering from it in the country.
Secretary Health Syed Hashim Raza Zaidi said that the government was taking serious measures to curb this disease. He said the Sindh province had 1000 treatment and 272 diagnostic centers where all the medicines and related investigation were provided free of cost.
The secretary said the TB Control Program 2009-2012 was running smoothly in Sindh at a cost of Rs 213 million and it would be extended in the future. He assured his full support in the TB Control Program activities.
Vice Chancellor Dow University Prof. Masood Hameed said that the negligence, carelessness and unawareness about TB leads to a very cruel and complicated form of the disease known as Multi Drug Resistant-Tuberculosis (MDR-TB).
He informed that the seriousness could be understand that in Ojha Hospital 100 MDR TB patients were on waiting list for the TB treatment. The Dow University through its own resources would provide treatment to those waiting patients.
He said that the Dow University would soon start web based training program for family physician. He requested the philanthropist to generously donate for the cause of TB.
Director TB Control Dr. Ismat Ara stated that 50,986 TB patients had been registered in 2010 in Sindh alone while 88% of them were treated successfully.
Director Ojha Dr Iftikhar Ahmed said that at present more than 4,000 TB patients were being treated in its four filter clinics in the city. He said that 3,000 people were being treated in its main hospitals every year all of these patients were not charged for even a penny.
Internationally renowned social personality, including Chairman Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry Sheikh Muhammad Siddique, APWA Chairman Jahan Ara Hai, Director TB Control Sindh Dr. Ismat Ara and other eminent personalities from different walks of life, also attended the walk.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011%5C03%5C20%5Cstory_20-3-2011_pg12_1
KARACHI: Experts at a seminar said on Saturday that Tuberculosis (TB) claims 68,000 lives annually in the country while an untreated patient transfers the disease to 10-15 people during this period.
They informed this at a seminar organised by the Ojha Institute of Chest Diseases of Dow University of Health Sciences at its campus to mark the World Tuberculosis (TB) Day here on Saturday. A walk and a drama skit were also organised on this occasion.
The walk was led by Secretary Health Syed Hashim Raza Zaidi and Vice Chancellor DUHS Prof. Masood Hameed Khan. The speakers said that TB is a deadly disease and at present 0.7 million people were suffering from it in the country.
Secretary Health Syed Hashim Raza Zaidi said that the government was taking serious measures to curb this disease. He said the Sindh province had 1000 treatment and 272 diagnostic centers where all the medicines and related investigation were provided free of cost.
The secretary said the TB Control Program 2009-2012 was running smoothly in Sindh at a cost of Rs 213 million and it would be extended in the future. He assured his full support in the TB Control Program activities.
Vice Chancellor Dow University Prof. Masood Hameed said that the negligence, carelessness and unawareness about TB leads to a very cruel and complicated form of the disease known as Multi Drug Resistant-Tuberculosis (MDR-TB).
He informed that the seriousness could be understand that in Ojha Hospital 100 MDR TB patients were on waiting list for the TB treatment. The Dow University through its own resources would provide treatment to those waiting patients.
He said that the Dow University would soon start web based training program for family physician. He requested the philanthropist to generously donate for the cause of TB.
Director TB Control Dr. Ismat Ara stated that 50,986 TB patients had been registered in 2010 in Sindh alone while 88% of them were treated successfully.
Director Ojha Dr Iftikhar Ahmed said that at present more than 4,000 TB patients were being treated in its four filter clinics in the city. He said that 3,000 people were being treated in its main hospitals every year all of these patients were not charged for even a penny.
Internationally renowned social personality, including Chairman Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry Sheikh Muhammad Siddique, APWA Chairman Jahan Ara Hai, Director TB Control Sindh Dr. Ismat Ara and other eminent personalities from different walks of life, also attended the walk.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011%5C03%5C20%5Cstory_20-3-2011_pg12_1
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