Speakers at a conference yesterday stressed the need to create adequate social awareness to eradicate tuberculosis and free the nation from the completely curable disease once for all.
They said about 317,800 people are infected by TB every year and 64,800 patients die every year.
They put maximum emphasis on comprehensive government and NGO efforts involving the common citizens to detect and bring all tuberculosis patients under a direct observation treatment short course programme.
District Civil Surgeon office and BRAC jointly organised the roundtable on Tuberculosis Control Programme with the participation of journalists, high government officials, school and college teachers and local elite at Narsingdi Press Club Auditorium. Deputy Commissioner of Narsingdi Obaidul Azam attended the conference as the chief guest while civil surgeon of Narsingdi Dr Rashid Ahammed was in the chair.
BRAC District Representative Probal Shasha delivered the welcome speech. Health Programme Manager of BRAC Sarwar Jahan presented the keynote paper narrating the present scenario of TB in the district and the country as a whole, and future planning for eradicating the disease effectively.
He also elaborately presented the reasons behind TB infection and multi-drug resistant tuberculosis and talked about the treatment process and available facilities, reports BSS. The roundtable revealed that 2,236 TB patients including MDR patients are now undergoing treatments in the district, taking medicines regularly.