Mass awareness is needed to control spread of the disease as patients diagnosed with TB at the early stage can get cured easily through proper treatment. If TB patients take medicines with proper diagnosis they will be cured, said the speakers at the orientation programme on TB, Malaria, HIV and Covid-19, held at the BRAC Regional Office in Manikganj on Thursday.
Under the initiative of BRAC Tuberculosis Control Programme, district coordinator of BRAC, Md. Omar Farooq conducted the orientation, attended by imams, teachers, public representatives and local elites.
Md Mahfuzur Rahman, Area Supervisor of BRAC Tuberculosis Control Programme, delivered a keynote speech. Manikganj Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Jyotiswar Pal was present as chief guest, where Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Dr Md Lutfar Rahman attended as special guest.
As chief guest, UNO Jyotiswar Pal said, besides awareness, we need to further strengthen the existing public-private partnership to control the disease in the remotest parts of the country. People from all
walks of life, especially the imams of the mosques, the teachers' society, the public representatives and the conscious can play more active role in this regard, he added.
Dr Lutfar Rahman, Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer said that tuberculosis is one of the ten diseases that kill the most people in the world. Tuberculosis is a terrible disease. Cough for more than
three weeks, body fever, night sweats without fever, loss of body weight, loss of appetite are the main symptoms of tuberculosis. If these symptoms appear, you should go to the nearest health center, and as advised by the doctor, a chest x-ray, complete blood count, cough test should be done. He also discussed in detail about the causes, remedies and treatment methods of tuberculosis.
BRAC district coordinator Omar Farooq said that BRAC is ensuring free health care to people with the help of the government. We have been providing free full term treatment to those diagnosed with tuberculosis. We will continue this activity.