Photo-collected.
Online Reporter/

Today is Tuberculosis Day. According to the data published by the World Health Organization on the occasion of this day, Bangladesh is one of the 30 countries in the world with the highest number of tuberculosis patients. More than 100 people die of tuberculosis every day in the country. Experts say that 96 percent of cases can be cured if tuberculosis is detected at the right time and the medicine is taken properly.

World Tuberculosis Day 2023 is being celebrated in the country on Friday (March 24). This year’s theme of the day is ‘Yes, we can eradicate tuberculosis’.

Damien Foundation, a pioneering research organization in global tuberculosis eradication, country representative of Bangladesh Dr. Mahfuza Rifat said that under the National Tuberculosis Control Program in Bangladesh, about 3 lakh patients are identified every year. A certain number of these patients may remain out of medical care. Statistics from the National Tuberculosis Control Program say that 107 people die of the disease every day. But according to World Health Organization statistics, this number is 185 per day.

According to data provided by the government’s National Tuberculosis Control Program, more than 2.8 million people with TB symptoms were tested in 2021. During this time 3 lakh 7 thousand 444 new tuberculosis patients were detected. As such, more than 842 patients have been identified daily. However, the recovery rate from tuberculosis stands at 95.28 percent.

Department of Health Dr. Md. Mahfuzar Rahman Sarkar said that the National Tuberculosis Control Program and supporting organizations have made significant progress in controlling tuberculosis in the last few decades and have helped save the lives of about 2.3 lakh people from 2012 to 2021.

Health Minister Zahid Malek said that about 200 million people in the world have TB or tuberculosis. Of these, 70 percent of TB patients live in just 8 to 10 countries. Bangladesh is one of that list. The hope is that the tuberculosis situation has improved compared to the past. In 2002, around 75,000 people died of tuberculosis annually, but now it has come down to 40,000. But no death is desirable.

He said, tuberculosis medicine is now being manufactured in Bangladesh. Everything from patient identification to treatment and medicine is being provided free of charge. However, it is not possible for the government alone to control this infectious disease. If everyone comes forward, TB will be eradicated by 2030.