Pakistan ranks sixth among the 22 high tuberculosis risk countries, contributing 43 percent of the disease towards the eastern-Mediterranean region of World Health Organisation (WHO). According to available data, the incidence of TB per 100,000 people in Pakistan is 181, case notification per 100,000 per year is 150 while the treatment success rate is 85 percent. Official sources said more than 700,000 TB patients have been treated free of cost and 100% latest treatment methodology of DOTS coverage is achieved in the country.
They said training and health education materials have been developed and all concerned health care providers have been trained. They said external quality assurance for sputum microscopy is implemented in 40 districts of the country while five reference laboratories have been established included one at federal level and one each at provincial level. They said an estimated one-third of the world’s population is currently infected with TB. The World Health Organization is working on its plan to cut TB prevalence rates and deaths by half by 2015, they added.
Dr Sharif Astori from Federal Government Poly Clinic (FGPC), said TB is an infectious bacterial disease, which is caused by mycobacterium tuberculosis, which most commonly affects the lungs.
He added the disease is transmitted from person to person via droplets from the throat and lungs of people with the active respiratory disease. He said in healthy people, infection with mycobacterium tuberculosis often causes no symptoms, since the person’s immune system acts to wall off the bacteria.
He said the symptoms of active TB of the lung are coughing, sometimes with sputum or blood, chest pain, weakness, weight loss, fever and night sweats.
Creative leaders’ conference to start from 24th: A youth symposium titled `Creative Leaders’ Conference’ is all set to begin in the capital city from April 24 to empower and inspire the young people, who comprise of over 60 percent of Pakistan’s population. Young leaders from across the country would gather at the three-day Creative Leaders’ Conference (CLC-2012). “The conference would prove to be much desired platform the country’s youth who are usually neglected in the decision making process of the country” Director Marketing CLC-2012 Nadeem Ahmad said.
“We aim to instill decision making power with a spirit of leadership and commitment in the lives of youngster for a better understanding of creative career development and to highlight the critical role of our youth in changing the society for a better future” he added. Now in its fourth year, the annual youth conference theme `The World is Open for Me’ encourages the youngsters to discover their latent potential and opportunities so that “when they return to their towns and communities they can initiate constructive change at the grassroots level.”
The conference is being organised by Creative Pakistan Foundation in collaboration with Verite Media School. The prime purpose of the conference is to educate, enlighten, encourage and empower the youth through hands-on training, workshops, recreational activities and short training programmes.
Over 500 finest youth of the country are expected to attend the country’s leading youth conference, where the participants would get a chance to interact, exchange ideas and establishing linkages with other youngsters as well as leading personalities from different fields. More than thirty experts from Pakistan and abroad including prominent entrepreneurs, eminent scientists, renowned educationists, politicians, media professionals and inspiring individuals would be part of the conference.
The experts would be facilitating the diverse program of the conference which include discussion on entrepreneurial leadership, decision making, good governance, social media success and political leadership as the core themes.
Pakistan ranks 6th among high-TB risk countries
