The number of patients diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB) is increasing in the country as estimated 27,000 new cases are reported every year in the country. According to an official of TB Control Programme, total TB cases incidence rate per year is 525,000 in Pakistan while the figure of TB cases under treatment is 368,589. Sharing the official available data, he said as many as 160,000 patients were missed from treatment while 56,000 deaths were occurred due to TB in every year. The official said 1,571 microscopy centers had been working in the country.He added TB treatment success rate was 93 percent. He said the government had paid special attention to this critical issue and strengthened the program for providing a free treatment to TB patients. He said more than three hundred thousand TB patients were benefiting free diagnostic and treatment facilities every year in the country. He said more than 30 hospitals had been upgraded to take care of multi-drug resistant TB cases and 13 laboratories equipped with state of the art facilities were being established in various parts of the country. He said the government was committed to achieve the target of eliminating the disease from the country and sought support of all stakeholders in that regard. He said the government had planned several activities to raise public awareness about the devastating health, social and economic consequences and to step up efforts to end the disease.
