Experts say every third person a carrier for TB

Stress on the need for community health workers to enhance their knowledge

MULTAN: “Every third person in the world is a carrier for tuberculosis (TB) germs or bacteria,” stated Institute of Mother and Child Care Chairman Dr Ghulam Mustafa on Tuesday.

He expressed these views while speaking at the concluding session of a three-day training workshop organised for community health workers.

The workshop was conducted at the institute’s seminar room, where health workers were imparted training on the spread of the disease and the various ways of treating and preventing it.

Mustafa stated that the training session was a part of the ‘Stop TB’ partnership programme between the institute and the Helping Hands Foundation.

Dr Irfan Shabbir and Saima Chishti stressed on the need for community health workers to enhance their knowledge about the disease, while also communicating with stay-at-home mothers.

During the workshop, Mustafa informed participant about the symptoms of TB such as nausea, weakness, weight loss, fever and night sweats. He added that additional symptoms of TB also include coughing, chest pain and coughing up blood.

Speaking about the difference between a latent TB infection and the disease, Dr Irfan Shabbir revealed that with the former patients have TB germs in their bodies but are not at risk of developing the disease since they are inactive.

“These people do not have symptoms of TB and cannot spread it to others, but may develop the disease in the future,” he said. They are often prescribed medication to prevent them from developing the full-fledged disease, he added.

During the session it was also highlighted that tuberculosis is transmitted to other people through droplet infection; this can be through coughing, laughing or sneezing.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 22^nd, 2018.