Tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the major public health problems in the country with nearly 1,25,000 TB patients missing, health experts said at a programme in the capital yesterday, reports BSS. They said 2,22,600 TB cases were registered in 2016 in the country with the detection rate being 61 percent and missing rate 39 percent. Urban TB control has been a major challenge for Bangladesh as urban setting is more complex than rural setting, they told a press conference at the Jatiya Press Club.
National Tuberculosis Control Programme (NTP) of Directorate General and Health Service (DGHS) in cooperation with different local and international organizations organized the press conference on the occasion of the World TB Day tomorrow.
Line Director of TB and Leprosy of DGHS Dr Rouseli Haq, Deputy WHO Representative Dr Edwin Salvador, National Professional Officer (TB control) Dr Vikarunnessa, Country Project Director of Management Sciences for Health Oscar Cordon and senior infectious diseases advisor of US Agency for International Development Dr Charles Lerman, among others, addressed the press conference.
Medical Officer (focal person DR-TB) of NTP Dr Nazis Arefin Saki made a presentation on "Tuberculosis control in Bangladesh: an overview". To mark the World TB Day, NTP along with different organizations will bring out a rally from Shahbah to Matshay Bhaban from 7.30am tomorrow. Dr Shayla said that alongside poor people in urban areas, a significant number of people of middle and higher middle-income groups are suffering from TB. "We have to detect missing TB cases to free the country from the diseases."