I was only 10 years old when Doctors told to my mother that I am under attack of this disease, I did not know what were they talking about but I would see the paling colour of my mother’s face and She was almost weeping.
I still remember that She asked to Doctor what is the cure and how expensive its treatment?
Doctor said, If we start treating the child now She will be fine soon but it may takes some time.
My Mother held my hand and left the doctor’s clinic silently.In middle of the way She advised me to not to talk about my disease to any relative or neighbourhood.
I couldn’t understand what we are going through after this visit to Doctor.My mother started my treatment and would give me medicine everyday but I had to give up on my School, friends, sports and social activities all of sudden.
I was held at home and prohibited to meet with my friends and relatives.I asked to my mother what is this disease I am caught up?
Its TB (Tuber-culosis) I somehow couldn’t understand what is this disease and what it has to do with me.
I was out of school which disturbed my life but my mother promised me to get me in again after I will be all healthy.
My treatment took four years and today Its done.I am 14 years old and happy to start my Schooling again.
This disease has taken four years of my childhood and education but Thanks to the determination of my mother and Doctors who made it possible to me to see this day at school.
It’s the Story of 14 years old Shumaila A TB survivor who shared her story with DOPASI Foun-dation which is working for Stop TB Pakistan.
I happened to attend the Seminar arranged by DOPASI FOUNDATION and heard many similar stories from survivors MEN and WOMEN shared how they lost their JOBS, Marriages, and employ-ment.
It was very heart breaking to hear it all.Nor-mal TB treatment is for 6 months long and in some cases, they are hospitalized.
Every TB patient goes through rigorous treatment for the first two months and post that the treatment is revised based on the health conditions and test results of the patient.
Shumaila was hospitalized for 2 months and later was discharged.She couldn’t do any of her own chores and her mother helped her even to attend the washroom.
TB medication is free of cost available in DOTS Centre these are government centers but anyone without a prescription can’t get this medication.
However, one can get medication from a pharmacy after paying the due cost.I latterly came to know in this Seminar that its very much curable disease and its treatment is absolutely free of cost.
Its treatment is “RIGHT” based right for all.Further I learned Tuberculosis (TB) is an airborne disease and despite being curable, it remains glob-ally the second most common cause of death from infectious diseases, killing almost 2 million people annually.
Pakistan, with an estimated about 600,000 new TB cases emerging and 44,000 deaths each year and approximately 27,000 developing drug-resistant TB cases every year, is ranked fifth among TB high-burden countries worldwide and it ac-counts for over 60% of the burden of the WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean Region, comprising of 22 countries
Ending the TB epidemic in a high burden of TB and DR-TB countries like Pakistan will require a para-digm shift: by adapting a response based on an in-clusive, transformed, and equitable approach.
The WHO Global TB Report 2019 estimates 64% of treatment coverage in the country.However, of additional concern is the high incidence of drug-resistant TB at 27,000 with a much lower-case noti-fication rate in Pakistan.
Pakistan has short substantially for the resources required by the country to adequately combat the disease and meet END TB SDGs 2030 goals of Pakistan with enhanced domestic spending from federal and provincial governments, civil society, and other stakeholders in the country.
When it comes to the efforts made by civil Society we see DOPASI FOUNDATION and its dedication to stop TB in Pakistan.
Stop TB Partnership, Paki-stan is a country-level effort, assisted/hosted by the DOPASI Foundation that is leading the way to a world devoid of TB, to ensure a better future and environment for our children.
We aim at reposition-ing the Stop TB Partnership Pakistan platform as a strategic leader of civil society and key convener on TB with the sustained engagement of different ac-tors at the national level cutting across all provinces, along with sufficient resource mobilization to sus-tain all efforts in that direction.
It is our individual and collective responsibility to play our vital role in the elimination of this disease as early as world has developed Covid Vaccine.
we must emphasis on its awareness and the need of funding for highlighting the fact.
TB was first noti-fied in 1882 and it took 39 years to develop the vaccine.However today the world has witnessed the development of a vaccine as early as one year for COVID-19.
Though estimated deaths from TB as of 2020 were 1.9 million globally and 2 million deaths due to COVID.
There is a need when Pakistan must think, prepare and make some policies to Stop TB in Pakistan as how underprivileged and marginalized communities are at high risk for contracting TB and going on without proper medical care due to social taboos attached to the disease.
In far flung areas of Pakistan we find this disease as Social Taboo whereas majority of its population still have no knowledge that TB is completely a curable disease which has free treatment in all over the world in-cluding Pakistan.
