Health experts concerned over acute shortage of anti-TB drugs

Health experts on Thursday expressed grave concern over the acute shortage of anti-TB drugs throughout Pakistan since last three months and urged the federal government to ensure the drugs availability in local markets.

Renowned Consultant of Infectious Diseases, Sindh Institute of Urology & transplantation (SIUT), Dr Asma Nasim, revealed that there was acute shortage of anti-TB medicines across the country since last three month which was affecting management of TB patients. She said TB cases had rapidly increased in the society due to unavailability of anti-TB drugs and bad-prescription of medicines by the doctors.

She said that multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis type cases had been increasing in the country owing to bad-prescription of drugs to infected patients. She informed that TB was potentially a dangerous disease, but it was 100 per cent curable. She said although there was no data available of TB patients yet approximately 5,00,000 TB cases emerged every year across Pakistan.

She said: “TB is considered disease of poverty as majority of TB cases are being reported from under-developed countries. Poverty, poor ventilation in houses, mass shift of people from rural areas to urban cities, settlement in slums areas, rise in edible commodities prices, lack of awareness and low trend of education are some major reasons behind the spread of TB disease in the society.”

Eminent Dietitian at Sindh Institute of Urology & transplantation (SIUT) Dr Kehkashan Zehara said that TB was spreading through the air from one person to another and people with weak immune system generally developed this disease. She said proper diet which contained proteins like fish, meat, milk, fruits, egg, vegetables and pulses were vital to prevent from disease like TB.