ISLAMABAD, Oct 5 (DNA):With the mission of preventing tuberculosis, a one-day advocacy and awareness seminar was organized by Mercy Corps with the title of ‘Advocacy and Awareness Seminar on TB Preventive Treatment (TPT)’ in collaboration with the Communicable Disease Control (CDC-Sindh), Bridge Consultants Foundation (BCF), and Greenstar Social Marketing (GSM). As a part of the efforts to end TB in Pakistan, Mercy Corps and its partners are implementing a large-scale TB program, across the country in 120 districts, with the support of The Global Fund, said a news release issued here on Thursday.
Joining the National TB Control Program towards the goal of Ending TB by 2035. Mercy Corps interventions include engagement with the private sector health system, enhancing community awareness, public outreach to remote areas in partnership with Provincial TB Programs, Health Departments, and implementing partners. Tuberculosis Preventive Treatment (TPT) is another initiative under this program by Mercy Corps to curb the spread of the TB disease.
The seminar began with a welcome address and opening remarks by Deputy Directory CDC III – Sindh Dr. Samreen Ashraf Qureshi. She praised the efforts of Mercy Corps Pakistan and its partners in rolling out the TPT programme across the country. After the opening remarks Senior Program Manager Dr. Adeel Tahir, Mercy Corps shed light on the background and objectives of the seminar.
Senior Provincial Program Officer Syed Saleem Hasan Kazmi, CDC-TB Sindh gave a comprehensive briefing on the topic of ‘Burden of TB (Global Vs Pakistan), Programmatic Management of TPT’.
The aim of the seminar was to raise awareness about TPT, its outcomes as well as benefits and sensitize public health professionals, key stakeholders, decision-makers, and private as well as public sector officials that are actively engaged in the fight against TB.
TB is the second-leading infectious killer after COVID-19 and has been declared a national emergency in Pakistan since 2001. TB preventive treatment (TPT), a treatment offered to individuals who are considered to be at risk of developing disease in order to reduce that risk, is one of the key interventions recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) to achieve the end TB Strategy targets, as upheld by the UN High Level Meeting on TB in September 2018.
