ISLAMABAD: First Lady Begum Samina Arif Alvi has called upon all stakeholders to play their key role in breaking barriers for accessing tuberculosis (TB) control mechanisms in country by removing stigma attached to disease and making sure all healthcare services related to TB care and cure more patient-friendly. Addressing advocacy seminar, titled ‘Action Plan to End TB in Pakistan’, organised by Dopasi Foundation in collaboration with Common Management Unit for AIDS, TB and Malaria at local hotel here Begum Alvi highlighted fact that although over 600,000 of new TB cases emerged annually in Pakistan, a third of them were being missed despite availability of free diagnostic and treatment services across country. 

She stressed upon sustaining and scaling up generous efforts to help TB affected and key at-risk populations and urged all stakeholders to implement recommendations developed by eminent representatives from Stop TB Partnership Geneva. She acknowledged initiatives taken by partners including federal and provincial governments, development partners, donors particularly The Global Fund, USAID and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Stop TB Partnership and technical partners like World Health Organisation, private sector and civil society organisations, so far in strengthening, preventing and treating TB patients. 

Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Chairperson End-TB Parliamentary Caucus, Dr Shazia Sobia Soomro said Pakistan ranked fifth among TB high-burden countries across worldwide. She said that despite being curable, TB is main cause of death from infectious diseases, almost two million casualties reported in Pakistan every year.  “Over 600,000 new TB cases, including 27,000 drug-resistant TB cases, emerge every year in Pakistan”, she maintained. Later, Begum Samina Arif Alvi distrusted appreciation and award-winning shields to provincial and federal directors of controlling TB programme.

Published in The Daily National Courier, November, 26 2022

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