Islamabad:
Tuberculosis (TB) continues to project a long and fatal shadow around the world, Pakistan standing among the countries most affected by the disease.
TB has made more than 1.25 million lives worldwide in 2023, with 8.2 million new cases reported despite the fact that it is both avoidable and healing.
For Pakistan, the figures are particularly that give thought. More than 686,000 Pakistanis, including 81,000 children, developed tuberculosis last year. It is estimated that 47,000 lives have been lost in the disease, many of whom due to a late diagnosis and a lack of access to treatment. Experts say that overcrowding, poverty and weak health infrastructure are some of the conditions where tuberculosis prosperous.
What makes it particularly dangerous is its ability to spread silently. Infected individuals remain asymptomatic for months, passing the disease without knowing it. Although first -line treatment can cure most cases of tuberculosis, the growing number of drugs resistant to drugs has a serious threat of public health.
In 2023, 15,000 people in Pakistan developed rifampicin resistant tuberculosis (RR -TB) – a form particularly difficult to deal with the disease.
Rifampicin, a cornerstone of treatment with tuberculosis, becomes ineffective in such cases, forcing patients to count on more complex and toxic second intention.
Historically, RR-TB treatment lasted up to two years and has involved painful injections, often with disappointing results. Fortunately, recent advances have introduced entirely shorter diets such as BPALM, offering hope for better results and fewer side effects.
