About 2,000 more TB patients diagnosed in K-P in 2016

Pakistan chest society urges stakeholders to start awareness campaigns to control the spread of the disease

PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Chest Society revealed on Friday that the number of Tuberculosis (TB) patients in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) has increased from 43,155 in 2015 to more than 45,000 patients in 2016. The society urged the stakeholders to initiate awareness campaigns to control the spread of the disease.

Addressing a news conference, in connection with World Tuberculosis Day at the Peshawar Press Club, the society’s President Dr Ashraf Javaid said that according to the reports of World Health Organisation (WHO), total of 9.6 million TB patients are reported annually across the globe.

Javaid added that the 2015 report also highlights that out of total 9.6 million patients more than 1.5 million lost their lives due to the disease. The society president also revealed that 95 per cent of the patients who died belonged to low-income families and developing countries.



“TB is one of the five major reasons for women deaths aged, 15-44, in developing countries,” he stated, adding that 14,000 children out 140,000 contracted by TB died in 2014 globally.

Javaid also shared that Pakistan is ranked 5th across the globe and the common type of TB found in the country stands as the number fourth epidemic for resistive Tuberculosis which effects 80 per cent of the human lungs and effect 20 per cent of the other human bodies.

“In K-P, 96 per cent of TB registered cases were treated successfully,” claimed Dr Javaid, and urged the masses to consult with the facilitation centres if they have any symptoms like continuous coughing which exceeds from more than two weeks, fever, lack of appetite, sweating at night, and weight loss.



Citing causes of the disease, Dr Javaid said that TB is caused due to a weak immune system and the immune system weakens due to the use of drugs, diabetes, poverty, unhygienic diet.

“Common TB can be treated within six months and resistive TB type takes around two years to be treated,” he explained, adding that the disease can become severe whenever it’s not diagnosed in the initial stages.

He also urged professionals, media and civil society organisations to start mass awareness campaigns to let the masses know about the symptoms and preventive measures for the disease.

Talking about treatment facilities in the K-P, he said, “There are a total of 231 diagnostic centres and 810 treatment centres in the province.”