34 Out of Every 100000 TB Patients Die Annually: Experts

News Desk

Lahore: Pakistan is reporting more than 400,000 tuberculosis (TB) cases every year, with health experts warning that incomplete treatment, delayed diagnosis and poor living conditions are contributing to the continued spread of the curable disease.

Post-graduate Medical Institute (PGMI) Principal Dr Sardar Muhammad Al-Fareed Zafar made the remarks at a seminar in Lahore on TB prevention, early diagnosis, timely treatment and reducing mortality. The event was organised by the Department of Pulmonology.

Dr Zafar said advances in medical science, modern diagnostic methods and effective medicines had made TB completely curable. However, many patients fail to complete the lengthy treatment course, increasing the risk of drug-resistant TB.

He warned that treating drug-resistant TB can cost millions of rupees, placing the financial burden beyond the reach of many ordinary families. He said the government had allocated funds to provide free diagnostic services and medicines for TB patients at public hospitals.

Dr Zafar also urged philanthropists and civil society organisations to support efforts aimed at controlling the disease, stressing that TB would remain a public health threat as long as even a single patient remained untreated.

LGH Medical Superintendent Dr Khalid Bin Aslam said Lahore General Hospital had modern diagnostic equipment and facilities for examining suspected TB patients, with outpatient services available from Monday to Saturday.

Health experts at the seminar said TB spreads through the air when infected people cough or sneeze, making crowded and poorly ventilated environments particularly vulnerable. They called for stronger public awareness campaigns to promote early diagnosis and prevent transmission.

According to the experts, around 34 people out of every 100,000 TB patients die from the disease each year. They also noted that TB can present differently in children, who may show signs such as lethargy, irritability and loss of interest in normal activities rather than the typical symptoms seen in adults.

Dr Zafar advised people to avoid smoking, alcohol, betel nut and gutka, while urging TB patients to strictly follow their doctors’ instructions and complete the prescribed treatment.

He said TB patients should not be treated as social outcasts. Instead, they should receive medical care, encouragement and proper guidance, adding that doctors have a responsibility not only to treat patients but also to educate communities about prevention.

He identified overcrowded slums, poorly ventilated homes and dark, cramped living spaces on the outskirts of cities as high-risk environments for TB transmission. Better ventilation, timely diagnosis, completion of treatment and public awareness, he said, were essential to containing the disease.