Treatment of TB is Free By The Government of Pakistan
Treatment of TB is Free By The Government of Pakistan: Pakistan TB Control Program has set a target to reduce the number TB patients by 91% by the year 2020. According to a research, 121,000 patients suffering from tuberculosis do not seek medical treatment and leave their treatment incomplete in Pakistan while only 45,000 patients are under the WHO’s directly observed treatment short course.
The vision of Pakistan TB control Program is to provide patients with proper treatment and effectively engage in strategies to decrease the number of people who have TB. If people let their treatment incomplete this makes their disease more resistant to infection which is a concern for the healthy people around them. Tuberculosis is not only a danger for the patients who are suffering from it but also for the society.
In 2017, there were 72,000 TB patients who were treated in different hospitals of Sindh in Pakistan. Pakistan TB control program is to get rid of this contagious disease. 26 GeneXpert machines obtained by the health department have enabled the TB Control Program to improve diagnostic services. Government has allocated Rs275.7 million for two years (2017 to 2019) and passed a law under which 20 diseases, including TB, had been declared “in-notice disease” to enhance its detection rate. There are patients who develop cancer through Multi Drug Resistant Tuberculosis and that will be minimized by at least 5% by the year 2020.
Despite the provision of free TB treatment (testing and medication) by the Government of Pakistan, people are ignoring this dangerous disease. PTBCP theme for this year is to “urge leaders for making a TB free World and stop TB”. Now here comes the role of a TB leader. TB Leader is the person who is affected by the disease and is willing to speak about it hence through their efforts and personal engagement we can put an end to the spread of this disease.
A TB patient’s treatment can amount up to almost 0.65 million to 1 million rupees. In Pakistan, the day starts with seminars, TB Awareness Walk with banners and play cards to raise public awareness about the TB and its treatment, free camps and talk shows.
Some Misconceptions About TB Treatment:
- TB is not curable
- it is spread via handshake
- It is transmittable genetically or by sharing meal
- Patients required hospitalization
- Anti-TB medicines are of low quality and they cause infertility.