TB control programme needs to be pursued with all seriousness
Sunday, 21 September 2008
FE Report
Speakers at a roundtable Saturday underlined the need for making the people aware of the problem of tuberculosis (TB) side by side with efforts for taking the TB control programme at the doorstep of the people, particularly of the poorer section of the society.
The roundtable on, "TB control programme: situation in urban areas", organized jointly by the Brac and the Ittefaq, a national Bengali daily, at the Jatiya Press Club, cautioned against being complacent by the initial success of the TB control programme.
The programme is being implemented jointly by the government and 28 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) across the country. It advised all stakeholders to pursue the programme with all seriousness in the coming days.
Presided over by Editor of the Ittefaq Rahat Khan, the roundtable was attended by additional director general of health services Moyez Uddin as chief guest and renowned chest specialist Prof. Shamsul Haque, additional inspector general of prisons Col. Ashraful Islam and director of MBDC and national TB control programe Dr. Pravat Chandra Barua as special guests.
Others who spoke at the function included Faruk Ahmed and Shipa Hafiza of Brac, Shamsul Huq Zahid of the Financial Express, Farid Hossain of Associate Press (AP) and Kabori Sarwar, a renowned film actress. Dr. Saila Islam of Brac made a presentation on the state of affairs with TB in Bangladesh.
Mr. Moyez explained how the government was working as a catalyst in the fight against TB throughout the country.
Mr. Faruk Ahmed said it is important to disseminate the information among the people that TB is treatable disease, its treatment is available free of cost and one can have treatment of TB sitting at one's home.
He said the 'Directly Observed Treatment Short-course' (DOTS) now being implemented jointly by the government and NGOs in Bangladesh is cited as success story globally. He however cautioned that $88 million made available by the WHO's global fund for combating AIDS, TB and Malaria might be withdrawn if the country failed to use it properly.
Col. Ashraf felt the need for making available the TB treatment facilities in prisons where prevalence of TB and other communicable diseases was higher than outside. He said since the prisons are holding prisoners far beyond their capacity inmates in prisons are exposed to communicable diseases.
Prof. Shamsul Haque said general health practitioners who treat most TB patients should be made aware of the DOTS facility.
Speakers at a roundtable Saturday underlined the need for making the people aware of the problem of tuberculosis (TB) side by side with efforts for taking the TB control programme at the doorstep of the people, particularly of the poorer section of the society.
The roundtable on, "TB control programme: situation in urban areas", organized jointly by the Brac and the Ittefaq, a national Bengali daily, at the Jatiya Press Club, cautioned against being complacent by the initial success of the TB control programme.
The programme is being implemented jointly by the government and 28 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) across the country. It advised all stakeholders to pursue the programme with all seriousness in the coming days.
Presided over by Editor of the Ittefaq Rahat Khan, the roundtable was attended by additional director general of health services Moyez Uddin as chief guest and renowned chest specialist Prof. Shamsul Haque, additional inspector general of prisons Col. Ashraful Islam and director of MBDC and national TB control programe Dr. Pravat Chandra Barua as special guests.
Others who spoke at the function included Faruk Ahmed and Shipa Hafiza of Brac, Shamsul Huq Zahid of the Financial Express, Farid Hossain of Associate Press (AP) and Kabori Sarwar, a renowned film actress. Dr. Saila Islam of Brac made a presentation on the state of affairs with TB in Bangladesh.
Mr. Moyez explained how the government was working as a catalyst in the fight against TB throughout the country.
Mr. Faruk Ahmed said it is important to disseminate the information among the people that TB is treatable disease, its treatment is available free of cost and one can have treatment of TB sitting at one's home.
He said the 'Directly Observed Treatment Short-course' (DOTS) now being implemented jointly by the government and NGOs in Bangladesh is cited as success story globally. He however cautioned that $88 million made available by the WHO's global fund for combating AIDS, TB and Malaria might be withdrawn if the country failed to use it properly.
Col. Ashraf felt the need for making available the TB treatment facilities in prisons where prevalence of TB and other communicable diseases was higher than outside. He said since the prisons are holding prisoners far beyond their capacity inmates in prisons are exposed to communicable diseases.
Prof. Shamsul Haque said general health practitioners who treat most TB patients should be made aware of the DOTS facility.