50pc adults suffer from mycobacterium tuberculosis germs
Thursday, 4 June 2009
FE Report
Speakers at a roundtable on Wednesday said around 50 per cent of the country's adult population is infected with mycobacterium tuberculosis germ and a public-private partnership is urgently needed in controlling tuberculosis (TB) in the country.
"Government initiatives, in a country like Bangladesh, are not sufficient to eradicate a fatal disease like TB. The private sector needs to strengthen government's move in addressing it," Dr Provat Chandra Barua, Line Director of TB & Leprosy, Leprosy Control Institute and Hospital said at his keynote speech.
Dr. Barua was speaking at a roundtable held on "Tuberculosis Control: Present Situation and Future Planning" at BRAC Centre in the city.
Jalaluddin Ahmed, Associate Director of BRAC's Health Program and programme specialist Dr Mahfuza Rifat were among others to participate in the discussion.
Speakers said the World Health Organization (WHO) ranks Bangladesh 6th among the world's 22 high-burden TB countries. At least 50 per cent of the adult population is affected with TB germs.
In the discussion, speakers also said that National Tuberculosis Control Programme (NTP) aimed at identifying the prevalence of TB germs among 70 per cent patients and cure 85 per cent of the affected. The NTP also has plans to reduce the number of TB patients and death caused by the disease to half by 2015.
They also highlighted the necessity of raising awareness among the masses by disseminating correct information and confirming that the deadly disease is fully curable through proper medication.
Speakers at a roundtable on Wednesday said around 50 per cent of the country's adult population is infected with mycobacterium tuberculosis germ and a public-private partnership is urgently needed in controlling tuberculosis (TB) in the country.
"Government initiatives, in a country like Bangladesh, are not sufficient to eradicate a fatal disease like TB. The private sector needs to strengthen government's move in addressing it," Dr Provat Chandra Barua, Line Director of TB & Leprosy, Leprosy Control Institute and Hospital said at his keynote speech.
Dr. Barua was speaking at a roundtable held on "Tuberculosis Control: Present Situation and Future Planning" at BRAC Centre in the city.
Jalaluddin Ahmed, Associate Director of BRAC's Health Program and programme specialist Dr Mahfuza Rifat were among others to participate in the discussion.
Speakers said the World Health Organization (WHO) ranks Bangladesh 6th among the world's 22 high-burden TB countries. At least 50 per cent of the adult population is affected with TB germs.
In the discussion, speakers also said that National Tuberculosis Control Programme (NTP) aimed at identifying the prevalence of TB germs among 70 per cent patients and cure 85 per cent of the affected. The NTP also has plans to reduce the number of TB patients and death caused by the disease to half by 2015.
They also highlighted the necessity of raising awareness among the masses by disseminating correct information and confirming that the deadly disease is fully curable through proper medication.