Experts stress special TB control measures for urban poor
12 September 2013, Dhaka. Medical experts, practitioners, healthcare providers and policymakers at a roundtable on Thursday said special measures to treat tuberculosis among slum dewellers in the cities.
Having said that TB patients need to follow a rigorous course of medicines for a certain time, they said patients living in the slums often find it difficult to complete the course as they often need to move away for livelihood or other cause.
The National TB Control Programme, The Daily Ittefaq and non-governmental organization BRAC organized the roundtable on ‘Government and non-governmental involvement in TB control and care: Bangladesh context’ at the BRAC Centre.
Dr Mojibur Rahman, national programme consultant, National TB Control Programme, gave the key-note presentation at the event modertated by Shaheen Reza Noor, executive editor of Daily Ittefaq.
In his chief guest’s speech, Professor Dr Khondokar Md Shefyetullah, director-general of health, said in terms of the poor national budget allocation for the health sector the success is highly appreciable.
‘The success we have achieved in the health sector is a collaborative result of the government’s commitment, GO-NGO partnership and media involvement,’ the DG said.
He further said the government has 32 operational plans for health sector, one of which involves the mangement of tuberculosis and leprosy.
Dr Md Ashaque Husain, line director, TB and Leprosy, National TB Control Programme, Muzaffar Hossain Paltu, senior vice-president, National Anti-Tuberculosis Association of Bangladesh, M Hamid, director-general of BTV, attended the programme as special guests.
Md Nuruzzaman Haque, National TB Control Programme, Ashish Ghosh Saikat, managing editor, Ittefaq also attended the roundtable. Dr Md Akramul Islam, associate directior, Health Nutrition and Population Programme of BRAC, gave the welcome speech.
Dr Md Ashaque Husain said TB management will soon be included in the national undergraduate medical curriculum.
Dr Md Delwar Hossain, associate professor of BIRDEM, said around 10 patients among each 100 diabetic patients are being detected with TB infection.
Experts also stressed strengthening of GO-NGO partnership in tuberculosis management in the country.
According to the National Tuberculosis Control Programme, in 2011 a total of 1,55,564 people were detected with TB.
