Tuberculosis prevails despite eradication efforts

DHARAN, March 25: Despite the government's efforts to eradicate tuberculosis from the country, around 45,000 tuberculosis patients are reported across the country every year.

Of these patients, only around 30,000 to 35,000 visit hospitals and health posts for treatment, informed Dr Kumar Yadav, tuberculosis program coordinator and public health consultant at BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS), Dharan.


"The remaining patients who don't show up for treatment are transmitting the disease to their family members and the community as the disease is highly contagious," he said.

According to him, one tuberculosis patient transfers the disease to more than a dozen people. He said bacteria from tuberculosis patients can be transmitted through the air while the patients cough, sneeze or speak.

"Although the treatment and medicines for the disease are free of cost, patients shy away from treatment due to misconception about the disease and the tendency to hide it due to fear of social exclusion," said Dr Yadav. He added it is very difficult to control and eradicate the disease if patients do not seek treatment. This is the most challenging part. He also appealed to the public to help tuberculosis patients reach treatment centers.

Tuberculosis can be treated within six months if patients regularly take medicines. "Patients can notice improvement in their health in a month after starting to take medicines regularly," said Dilli Raman Adhikari, public health administrator at District Health Office, Sunsari. "However, patients tend to discontinue medication before six months believing they have already been cured," he said.

According to him, patients who quit medicines before six months reach the second phase and need to consume expensive medicines. They also take a longer time to be cured fully.

Although the government organized various anti-tuberculosis campaigns over the past 10 years, tuberculosis is still prevalent in Nepal.

According to physicians, symptoms of the disease include continuous coughing, weight loss, fatigue, loss of appetite and coughing up of blood, among others. Tuberculosis can be detected through mucus test.

World Tuberculosis Day was celebrated across the country on Tuesday. Various organizations, including BPKIHS, Sahara Nepal, among others, organized rallies and other tuberculosis awareness programs to mark the day.

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