TB/HIV still the biggest health challenge in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

About 94 percent patients suffered by tuberculosis with number of 35,000 successful recovered from the disease last year in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while the growing number of Multi-Drug Resistance (MDR) patients of TB/HIV is still the biggest challenge in the province, said an official provincial health department while addressing at a seminar here on Saturday.
The seminar held under auspicious of Provincial TB control program in connection with World TB Day here at local hotel on Saturday. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Health, Syed Zahir Ali Shah was chief guest on the occasion. The provincial Director General Health Service Shareef Ahmad Khan, said that more than 220 diagnostic and different treatment centres established under TB control programme in the province. He informed that they had registered more than 35,000 patients, sputum conversion rates for the registered cases with ratio of 95 percent and most of them successful recovered. However, he said the department is facing the growing Multi Drugs Resistance (MDR) TB and TB/HIV co-infection patients. He determined that they would handle the patients through modern curable methods.
Khyber Pukhtunkhwa (KP) Minister for Health Syed Zahir Ali Shah, while addressing at the seminar said that TB is a curable disease and urged the patients consult with qualified physicians to immediate cure the disease at early detection stages. He said the government had taken proactive steps for elimination of the deadly diseases, including TB from the province. He stressed the public-private partnership is key to eradicate all fatal diseases. He welcomed all stakeholders to come forward to joint hand in noble cause. Secretary Health, Mohammad Ishfaq Khan, Special Secretary Health Dr Noor-ul- Eman, Project Director Abaid Hussain and representatives of health department, Director General Health Service Khyber Pukhtunkhwa Shareef Ahmad Khan, head of health programmes and others were present on the occasion.
The provincial minister said the Provincial TB Reference Laboratory had established at Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC) with modern facilities for Multi Drug Resistance patients. Meanwhile, the Provincial TB Programme, Association for Community Development (ACD) in collaboration with Rescue 1122 jointly held a walk to mark the World TB Day. The walk meant to create awareness among the people regarding the dreadful disease of TB.
The walk started from Qayyum Stadium Sports Complex and culminated here at Peshawar Press Club (PPC). Holding banners inscribed with slogans as "Stop TB in my lifetime'. Director General of Rescue 1122 Dr Shams-ul-Mulk, PTBCP Dr Abd-ul-Lateef and head of ACD Dr Akmal Naveed and Kher-ul-Bashar were leading the walkers. Later a press conference was arranged about TB wherein they shared views about TB and how to eradicate it while Shams-ul-Mulk assured the doctors for all kind of help in this regard.