ISLAMABAD (July 04 2007): National Assembly Standing Committee on Health met here on Tuesday, with Hajra Tariq Aziz in the chair and discussed issues relating to the tuberculosis and tetanus. Incharge, Tuberculosis in Pakistan Dr Hassan Sadiq gave a detailed briefing and informed that tuberculosis was a major public problem in the world.

It was also informed that government realising the gravity of situation revived the national TB Control Programme (NTP) in 2000 and federal PC-I costing RS 66 million was approved.

To achieve the objectives and targets, the organisational structure was revamped, federal and provincial roles and responsibilities were redefined and TB control was integrated with Primary Health Care Services (PHC). The Committee appreciated the efforts and recommended that the medicines for the TB may be provided free of cost to the people so that they could survive against the disease.

The Committee also discussed the issue of Tetanus and it was informed to the members of the Committee that Pakistan aims to eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus by the year 2010.

The press release said, the elimination strategy is based on improving routine immunisation coverage, implementing the high risk approach by conducting three rounds of TT vaccination targeting Child Bearing Age (CBA) ladies in high risk areas, improving clean delivery practices and strengthening NKT surveillance. This will help the country to reach MDG 4 and 5 for reducing maternal and childhood morbidity and mortality, it added.

Every year 250,000 people develop TB; nearly half of them are infectious. According to WHO estimates, incidence of all types of TB is 181/100,000 and of sputum positive TB cases is 80/100,000 per year. Following WHO's declaration of TB as a Global Emergency in 1993, National TB Control Programme (NTP) adopted directly observed treatment short course (DOTS) strategy in 1995 but the programme could not be expanded beyond few districts.

Copyright Associated Press of Pakistan, 2007