ISLAMABAD:Parliamentary Secretary for National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination Nelson Azeem on Wednesday informed the National Assembly that the government was strengthening tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis and treatment services across the country.
Responding to a Calling Attention Notice regarding the rising number of TB cases and an estimated 140 deaths per day, he said the figure was based on World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates for countries with similar population and income levels and did not necessarily represent deaths directly attributable to TB.
He said available data suggested that the number of deaths directly associated with the disease was considerably lower.
He added that the government was working to further reduce TB-related deaths through early diagnosis and timely treatment.
The parliamentary secretary said the government was providing free treatment to registered patients and had expanded diagnostic services to facilitate the early identification of cases.
Teams were also visiting households to test people and bring patients into the treatment network.
He said public hospitals, basic health units (BHUs), private clinics and other healthcare facilities were working together to improve access to diagnosis and treatment, particularly in underserved areas.
Responding to a supplementary question, Nelson Azeem said the number of reported cases appeared to be increasing partly because more patients were now being diagnosed through expanded testing. Previously, many patients had remained undetected and had not received timely treatment, he added.
He said international assistance, including funding from the Global Fund, was supporting disease-control efforts through the relevant government mechanism. The programme also provided nutritional assistance of Rs10,000 to Rs12,000 to patients with drug-resistant TB, he added.
The parliamentary secretary said TB was more prevalent in rural areas because of poverty and poor hygienic conditions.
He said diagnostic and treatment facilities had been extended to the BHU level and were also available at federal government hospitals to enable earlier detection and prompt treatment.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to improving TB control through expanded testing, free treatment and better access to healthcare services.