Speakers at a post-rally discussion have underscored the need for a concerted effort to create mass awareness for building a tuberculosis free society.
They said TB is no more a killer disease as early detection, proper and timely diagnosis and treatment and preventive measures are found effective in fighting the disease.Rajshahi City Corporation, Rajshahi Medical College Hospital and Offices of the Divisional Director of Health and Civil Surgeon jointly organised the rally and the meeting held at Luxmipur intersection in Rajshahi today to mark the World Tuberculosis Day-2014.Various other implementing organizations like Damien Foundation, TBCAREII, Light House, Population Services and Training Center (PSTC), TMSS, BRAC, FPAB and Ashakta Punarbashan Sangstha (APOSH) supported the anti-TB programmes”Reach the 3 Million. Find. Treat. Cure TB” was the main theme of the day.
Civil Surgeon Dr Shahidul Islam, Deputy Civil Surgeon Dr Azizul Islam, Medical Officer of Chest Disease Clinic Dr Ismat Ara, Chief Health Officer of Rajshahi City Corporation Dr Anzuman Ara Begum, Project Director of Damien Foundation Shafiqul Islam and Regional Coordinator of TBCARE II Project Himangshu Karmaker addressed the discussion, among others.Dr Shahidul Islam said the existing challenges of Multi Drug Resistance (MDR) tuberculosis should be faced collectively as its consequences is very dangerous.He said there is no alternative to concerted efforts to check the contagious disease as all the MDR TB patients always breed more other identical category of patients through quick transmission.Sharing his expertise Dr Abu Sayem, Divisional Consultant of National TB Control Programme, said the TB is an infectious disease that usually spreads out through breathing of the affected patients. He underscored the need for conducting massive awareness and searching programmes to detect the TB in the slum and char areas of the district without further delay.It is no more a deadly disease and it is fully cured if the affected patients take proper treatment, he said.
Dr Sayem said the government is determined to achieve success in TB control through implementing the Directly Observed Treatment strategy
and with enormous efforts of all the stakeholders GO and NGOs, TB diagnostic and treatment services now available throughout the country.Terming the co-infection of TB and HIV as severe to any human body he laid stress on a comprehensive human resource along with capacity development plan to deal with TB-HIV co-infection at different levels, layers and systems.Marking the day, a rally was brought out and that paraded some of the city streets aiming at creating awareness about the disease and its social and family burden. -BSS, Rajshahi
