Islamabad, April 9 (IANS) Tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the deadliest diseases in Pakistan as it claims tens of thousands of lives each year. More than 1,800 new cases of TB being reported daily and approximately 140 casualties each day demonstrate that Pakistan’s current response to the disease is inadequate, a report has stated.

The figures released on World Tuberculosis Day by the World Health Organisation (WHO) should be considered a wake-up call for Pakistan. The scale of the crisis is alarming as more than 669,000 people have been infected with TB annually and 51,000 deaths have been reported.

Pakistan accounts for 73 per cent of the TB burden in the Eastern Mediterranean region and ranks fifth across the world demonstrates its continuous failure to address this public health challenge, according to an editorial in Pakistan’s Business Recorder.

“The theme this year, ‘Yes, We Can End TB — Powered by People’ reflects optimism and possibility. Yet, the situation on the ground suggests a troubling disconnect between aspiration and action. When over 1,800 new cases emerge daily and approximately 140 people die every day, it becomes clear that the current response is insufficient,” an editorial in Business Recorder mentioned.

“The statement by the WHO Country Representative that one person dies every 10 minutes in Pakistan underscores urgent need for decisive intervention. More importantly, the reminder that these deaths are preventable should provoke both outrage and accountability,” it added.

Severe underfunding, weak health infrastructure and shortages of essential medicines have together undermined TB control efforts. These are new problems but showcases Pakistan’s longstanding neglect of the public health sector. Infectious diseases like TB impact the most vulnerable people. However, the absence of equitable access to timely diagnosis and treatment further increases social and economic inequalities, according to the editorial.

To eradicate TB, Pakistan needs political will, increased financial allocations and a robust healthcare delivery system that reaches even the most remote people. Early detection, medical supply and patient support system must be prioritised by the authorities. Furthermore, awareness campaigns should be launched for public to address stigma, which often stops people from seeking treatment for TB.

TB is an infectious disease caused by bacteria that most often affects the lungs. It spreads through the air when people with TB cough, sneeze or spit. TB is preventable and curable, according to WHO. Generally, TB disease is treated with antibiotics and can be fatal without treatment.

–IANS

akl/as