JHAPA: A total of 700 new tuberculosis (TB) cases have been reported in Jhapa until March 13 of the current fiscal year, according to Birendra Das, TB focal person of the Health Office, Jhapa.
Das said 25 patients have lost their lives during this period. Last fiscal year, the number of TB-related deaths stood at 48.
Among the newly diagnosed cases this year, 471 patients have pulmonary TB, 162 have extrapulmonary TB, 8 are co-infected with both TB and HIV, and 16 are suffering from drug-resistant tuberculosis (DRTB).
Despite the significant number of cases, efforts to combat TB are ongoing. The Health Office, Jhapa, in collaboration with 79 health institutions under 15 local levels, is providing free treatment for TB. There are also 22 microscopic centers for free sputum testing, three gene expert centers, and four sub-DR centers dedicated to treating DRTB patients.
Additionally, an incentive of Rs. 500 per month is given to underprivileged patients who complete the medication period. To intensify the fight against TB, a tuberculosis-free campaign is being run in three municipalities of Jhapa—Shivasatakshi, Birtamod, and Mechinagar—under the federal program.
Today, Nepal joins the global community in observing World Tuberculosis Day with the slogan: “Yes, we can end tuberculosis. Commitment to investment and assurance of service delivery are the need of the day.”
The government has set a goal to make Nepal tuberculosis-free by 2050.
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