Everyone has a role to play to end TB, USAID expert says

A global expert on tuberculosis, or TB, has said everyone has a role to play to end this infectious disease in Bangladesh.

“TB can be ended if everyone plays a role. It’s everyone’s business to prevent TB,” Dr Oscar Cordon, Country Project Director of USAID’s Challenge TB Project, has said in Dhaka.

He made the remarks as many people with TB remained missing in Bangladesh, leading the risk of spreading this to others or die without treatment. But once detected the treatment is free at the government level.

Dr Cordon asked the private sector to help the government by sensitising patients that services are completely free at the government level.

Many patients detected at private hospitals or doctors do not go to the government facilities to take medicines which are costly if bought from outside. This results in discontinued treatment.

“Patients with TB should not experience debt for paying for the services,” he said while speaking at a discussion on “Multi-sectorial approach in ending tuberculosis: role of media, public and private sector” at Dhaka Club on Saturday night.

The National Tuberculosis Control Program (NTP) under the Directorate General of Health Services and Bangladesh Health Reporters Forum (BHRF) with the support of the USAID Challenge TB Project Bangladesh organised the event.

Director General for Health Services Abul Kalam Azad, Additional Secretary to the health ministry Habibur Rahman, President of BHRF Toufiq Maruf, and Vice-President Nurul Islam Hasib also spoke at the seminar chaired by Prof Shamiul Islam, Line Director of the national TB control programme.

M&E expert of the National TB Programme Dr Ahmedul Hasan Sumon presented a paper on the topic and stressed detecting ‘missing TB’ which is a key challenge for Bangladesh.

Every year, globally 10.4 million people become sick with TB. Of them, 40 percent do not even receive care – health systems miss them after failing to diagnose, treat or report.

In Bangladesh it is estimated that 100,000 TB cases remain missing every year.

The result is many will die or continue to be sick and transmit the disease or, if treated with improper drugs, contribute to the growing menace of drug resistance.

This is significant because Bangladesh has the seventh highest prevalence rate of TB in the world.

“We are not safe unless we can detect all,” the director general Azad said, adding that the government takes all the responsibilities once a TB case is detected.

“So private sector has a big role here,” he said.