Multi Drug Resistance-TB Emerging Serious Health Challenge In Sindh

Approximately some 121,000 registered TB patients in Sindh have abandoned treatment exposing themselves to high risk to multi drug resistance (MDR) warned doctors addressing a seminar organized to commemorate World TB Day 2018 at Dow University of Health Sciences.

KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Mar, 2018 ) :Approximately some 121,000 registered TB patients in Sindh have abandoned treatment exposing themselves to high risk to multi drug resistance (MDR) warned doctors addressing a seminar organized to commemorate World TB Day 2018 at Dow University of Health Sciences.

Later talking to APP they said the day being observed Saturday with the theme Wanted: Leaders for a TB-free world thus hold particular relevance to our conditions and needs extensive involvement of politicians as well as healthcare providers and community workers to brave the challenge.

Mentioning that MDR - TB does not only aggravate the health conditions of the concerned patients but also enhances vulnerability of healthy individuals, including children, to the infectious disease.

In reply to a question Prof. Said Quraishi, Vice Chancellor, DUHS, said available medication can lead to 100% recovery, however, leaving half way the course, that is largely available free of cost, enhances severity of the ailment.

"MDR-TB leads to strains that are resistant to drugs," he said mentioning that healthy people contracting the infection from such patients also hold all chances to be exposed to MDR. Dr.Abdul Khaliq Domki, Director Sindh TB Control Program, mentioned that the number of TB patients is feared to accelerate by 91% across the country by 2020.

Addressing the seminar, he mentioned that National TB Control Program as well as its provincial counterparts have embarked upon an ambitious strategy to focus on patients who owing to any reason may not be continuing with their medication.

"The number of patients developing Multi Drug Resistant Tuberculosis is expected to be considerable minimized by at least 5%," said Domki. Last year, there were 72 thousand TB patients who were cured in different hospitals of Sindh emphasizing the fact that TB is a contagious disease that has to be controlled.

Pro Vice Chancellor Dow University of Health Sciences, Dr. Mohammad Masroor regretted that despite provision for free TB treatment by the Government of Pakistan, people in general appear to be indifferent towards the hazardous disease.

"This is again despite the fact that TB treatment per patient ranges between Rs. 65,00,000 to Rs.10,00,000," he said. Director, Ojha Institute of Chest Diseases,Dr. Nisar Ahmed Rao said OPDs at different constituent institutions of DUHS had examined more than 100,000 patients during less than one year period and found a sizable number of them inflicted with cancers.

Meanwhile, senior pulmonologist Dr. Javaid A Khan in a separate session with APP said the growing challenge of MDR closely associated with TB has to be handled urgently and effectively. "Health, social and economic implications of MDR tuberculosis are devastating and can not be left unattended," he said.

He in this context also mentioned that private sector also need to step up efforts to end the global TB epidemic. It may be mentioned that March 24 marks the day when in 1882 Dr. Robert Koch announced that he had discovered the bacterium that causes TB, thus opening fresh vistas for diagnosis and cure of TB.