Foreign funds given to fight tuberculosis should be properly used to eradicate the disease which is still a major public health problem in Bangladesh, a discussion has been told.
The discussion on ‘the Role of Global Fund in TB Control in Bangladesh’ was jointly organized on Tuesday by BRAC and New Age at BRAC Centre in the city’s Mohakhali.
The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has provided Bangladesh some 122.68 million US dollars under a 7-year programme from 2009 to 2015.
Associate Director of Health, Nutrition and Population Programme of
BRAC Dr Akramul Islam, Director of National Chest Disease Hospital
Prof Dr Mohammad Rashidul Hasan, Deputy Programme Manager of National
TB Control Programme Dr MA Hamid, among others, spoke on the occasion,
which was moderated by Deputy Editor of New Age Mir Ashfaquzzaman.
National Programme Consultant of National TB Control Programme Dr
Mohammad Mujibur Rahman presented the key-note paper, said a media
release.
The speakers called for providing timely health services to the tuberculosis patients.
They stressed that necessary steps should be taken to ensure that none die of the disease, which can be cured if the patients take regular drugs under the Directly Observed Treatment Short-course (DOTS).
The speakers said mass media play an important role in creating public awareness about the disease and its treatment.
They said media’s watchdog role can help reach health services effectively to the affected people.
According to National TB Control Programme (NTP), incidence of all forms of TB is 225 per 100,000 population a year in Bangladesh.
TB is a global problem with estimated 8.7 million new cases and 1.4
million deaths occurring due to TB annually. About 40% of global TB burden is from South-East Asia.
World Health Organization (WHO) has ranked Bangladesh 6th among the
world’s 22 high-burden TB countries.
Source: UNBConnect