Leaders urged to help eradicate TB from Northern Areas

The officials of Aga Khan Health Service TB Round 6 Programme and Community leaders addressing an Orintation Workshop regarding TB in Gulmit

By Zulfiqar Ali Khan

HUNZA, June 15: Speakers at an orientation session for community leaders called upon them to play their role in creating awareness for eradication of tuberculosis (TB) from the farflung areas of Gilgit-Baltistan region.

The session was part of a workshop organised by the Aga Khan Health Service, Pakistan (AKHSP) in Gulmit, under the TB Round-6 Programme. About 60 opinion leaders, elected members, religious leaders, line departments’ officials and community activists participated in the session.

Group Photo of the particiapnt of the TB orientation workshop held in Gulmit

The speakers showed great concern over the rapid spread of the deadly disease that claims nearly 70,000 lives in Pakistan every year. They said that WHO had declared global emergency to combat this disease and the Pakistani government was making all out efforts to eradicate this menace.

They said that about 7,197 TB cases were registered in Gilgit district during last fifteen years. The experts stressed the need to change the community perception regarding this infectious disease as it was preventable and curable.

The AKHSP officials said that the organisation had designed various programmes to sensitise the people of GilgitBaltistan.

In this regard capacity building trainings, orientation and awareness sessions were already organised for community leaders, journalists, health practitioners and other key stakeholders in five different districts of Gilgit-Baltistan region.

The participants of the TB orientation workshop held in Gulmit

Health experts shared specific causes and symptoms of TB with the participants and stressed on the patients and their relatives to be serious against this disease and get proper treatment at the early stage. They said one patient could infect about 15 healthy persons with TB in a year.

They stressed the need to change the designs of the traditional houses which provided a conducive environment for the virus to grow. The participants also shared their experiences regarding the disease and forwarded recommendations to effectively overcome the disease.

Orignal Link: http://epaper.dawn.com/ArticleText.aspx?article=16_06_2009_009_001