KARACHI:World TB Day was observed at Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT) on Monday with a resolve to make the world free from tuberculosis.
Tuberculosis is a deadly disease since millennia. It remains the deadliest infectious killer with around 4500 deaths and 30,000 new infections each day, throughout the world. WHO initiative “Find. Treat. All. #EndTB” with Global Fund and Stop TB partnership is focused to involve all leader of the world to combat this deadly disease.
Every year SIUT celebrates the day with emphasis on spreading the awareness and active finding of cases as emphasized by WHO. SIUT program was partnered with national TB program which has recently established a DOTS center at its main campus.
This year SIUT carried out anti-TB campaign at its primary health care center at Kathore, Malir. Banners and pamphlets were hosted and distributed in the nearby villages to encourage people to visit the center and get awareness about the ailment.
Dr Sunil Dodani Infectious Diseases consultant, Dr Ali Nadeem Microbiologist from SIUT and Dr Umbo from Kathore, along with their team established a one-day camp at Kathore.
The main purpose of the camp was to find active case by history, examination, chest X-ray and sputum examination and then enroll the patients in the DOTS program. There were awareness sessions with videos and lectures.
Dr Sunil at the awareness session explained to the villagers about the diseases. TB is caused by a germ called tuberculosis which spreads when patient cough or sneeze. The other persons nearby can get the germ when they breath the air full of germs. The person may get the disease after sometimes or the germ sits in their body and gets reactivated after many years when that person become weak due to age, pregnancy, diabetes or any other disease.
Patients must get early diagnosis and take medicines regularly. The good thing is TB is a completely curable disease provided the patients follow the doctor’s advice carefully.
Dr Ali Nadeem stressed on the government to end poverty, overcrowding and provide better nutrition, the main underlying culprits which make this disease flourish in our part of the world. He also emphasizes the people to come to the DOTS centers and get them checked for TB through a simple sputum examination so that they get the best treatment and care.
A large number of people visited the center throughout the day and get the knowledge and awareness about the disease.