World Tuberculosis Day observed at Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation

Karachi, March 24, 2018 (PPI-OT): World Tuberculosis Day which was observed throughout the world today was also observed at the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT) with an aim to create awareness amongst masses about the contiguous and debilitating disease. Tuberculosis is considered as one of the top 10 causes of death worldwide. In 2016, there were estimated 10.4 million new cases reported globally with a mortality of 1.7 million.

In Pakistan, during the year of in 2016, it is estimated that 518,000 patients were diagnosed with TB with an incidence of 268/100,000 population. On this occasion, the SIUT had chalked out an elaborate plan where TB experts of SIUT informed the visitors that Pakistan is included amongst seven countries accounted for 64% of all the new cases in the global perspective.

They said Pakistan is also a high burden country for Multi-drug resistant TB. Giving educational lecture about the disease the experts pointed out that Tuberculosis is an airborne disease, and can be caught by breathing in the air that an infected person has contaminated, through breathing and coughing.

Symptoms include a lasting cough, fatigue, coughing up blood, chest pain, sweating at night, fever, loss of appetite, and weight loss. It can affect any organ of the body. They said that the basic aim of organizing this event was to raise mass awareness about TB in terms of its sign and symptoms, spread, treatment and most importantly to highlight its preventive measures.

The program was organized under the auspices of Department of Infectious Diseases, SIUT which focused on the communities where active cases were detected. The program was held at three centers, of SIUT including primary healthcare center Kathore, Malir and SIUT Chalbani Medical Center of Sukkur. There were free medical check-ups and consultations, dietary/nutritional advices, distribution of educational literature on TB, viewing of disease educational videos, exhibition of informative posters/banners and interactive sessions between SIUT medical staff members with the audience.

The SIUT experts included Infectious diseases specialists Dr. Asma Nasim, Dr. Sunil Dodani and Dr Zaheer-uddin Baber, pulmonologist Dr Masroor Afridi, dietician Ms. Kehkashan and other related medical staff. A large number of people from all walks of life attended the event and highly benefitted from it.

For more information, contact:
Transplant Society of Pakistan
Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT)
Civil Hospital Karachi 74200,
Pakistan
Tel: +92-21-99215752, +92-21-99215718
Fax: +92-21-99215469, +92-21-99215362
Email: info@siut.org
Website: www.siut.org