Kathmandu, Mar, 24:World Tuberculosis Day is being observed today for the prevention of tuberculosis which claims the life of about 5,000 persons daily.
The day is to be observed in Nepal at the call of the United Nations with the theme “Forging New Friends to Control TB.”
More than two billion people the world over have already died untimely death due to tuberculosis after the its germs were first discovered 119 years ago.
Requesting to remember those who died from tuberculosis, raise awareness of the people so that it does not infect healthy persons and immediately help those who have already contracted the disease are the objectives of observing the day in Nepal.
Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, in his message, said that as the poor, illiterate and rural people were more vulnerable to the disease, HMG had been launching tuberculosis prevention programmes with priority in the rural areas.
Mr Koirala said that as provisions had been made for the free supply of drugs necessary for the treatment of TB in the health institutions of all the districts, the TB patients should go the nearest health institutions for treatment and extend cooperation in its prevention.
Premier Koirala mentioned that as the DOTS method for the treatment of tuberculosis had been appreciated in the national and international arena, the government had been further encouraged in the control of the disease.
Thanking all the social activists, health workers, teachers, people’s representatives, donor agencies and national and international organisations for their cooperation to HMG in controlling tuberculosis, Mr Koirala expressed the conviction that this kind of cooperation would be received in the future also.
Health Minister Dr. Ram Baran Yadav, in his message, said that tuberculosis is not caused by evil deed or a result of the previous birth but an infectious disease.
Dr. Yadav said that as a tuberculosis patient could spread the disease to 10 to 15 persons, HMG has been utilising the DOTS method of treatment which had been found to be effective for prevention and control of the disease the world over in Nepal for the last four years.
TB which had been a main public health problem of Nepal can affect people of any class and religion, Health Minister Dr. Yadav said, adding that instead of hiding the disease, it should be treated in time to get cured.
At present, TB patients were being treated with DOTS system at 148 health centres and 4455 sub-centres of 53 districts and the percent of recovery from DOTS was up to 89 percent, he added.
In a similar message, Minister of State for Health Tirtharam Dongol appealed to the people suffering from the disease to get rid of it by taking medicines regularly.
Some 8,000 TB patients were saved through directly observed treatment system or DOTS in the past four years, he added.
Similarly, health secretary Srikant Regmi spoke of the need of people’s partnership to control the disease, adding that the day basically aims at keeping the people informed about the present situation of the disease and developing positive attitude among the patients.
The government in cooperation with social workers, intellectuals, people’s representatives and NGO’s and INGO’s has formed DOTS committees in all districts and effectively conducted the TB control programme in cooperation and coordination with the people, he noted.
In a message on the occasion of World tb Day, director of The National TB Centre and SAARC TB Centre Dr Dirgha Singh Bam said it is tuberculosis which claims more people than other disease in the world and spoke of the need to raise public awareness to save the people.
Every year some nine million cases appear in the world and three million people die, he said, adding that 95 percent of the patients live in developing countries.
According to Dr. Bam, at present Nepal has 80 thousand TB patients and 44,000 people are infected every year.