KARACHI: Several organisations and institutions held programmes on Monday in connection with World Tuberculosis (TB) Day, with experts calling for heightened focus and greater investment in combating the deadly disease.

Experts say the alarmingly high prevalence of TB has placed a significant strain on the healthcare system and there is an immediate needfor action.

In a press statement, Dr Samreen Ashraf Qureshi, additional director of the TB control programme, Sindh, highlighted the gravity of the situation and the initiatives beingtaken by the provincial government to address this public health challenge.

`In Sindh, TB affects approximately 191,397 individuals, with over 119,741 receiving treatment, while more than 35,000 cases remain undiagnosed due to a lack of awareness,` she said.

She added that the government had set up 455 free TB diagnostic and treatment centres.

At a seminar and rally organised at the Ojha Institute of Chest Diseases, experts discussed the causes, diagnosis and treatment facilities available for the disease across the country.

The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA), in a statement, called for strengthening the national TB programme and ensuring its robust implementation.

In her message, First Lady Aseefa BhuttoZardari said that TB is not just a health issue; it is a social justice issue that disproportionately affects our most vulnerable communities.`Pakistan remains among the countries most burdened by TB, but we are also a nation of resilience and hope. Our government, in partnership with international organisations, healthcare workers and civil society, is taking bold steps to strengthen our healthcare system, improve early detection and ensure access to free, effective treatment for all.

`We must break the stigma surrounding this disease, encourage testing and stand in solidarity with those affected. No one should suffer in silence when the tools for prevention, treatment and cure are within our reach,` she said.

`We must break the stigma surrounding this disease, encourage testing and stand in solidarity with those affected. No one should suffer in silence when the tools for prevention, treatment and cure are within our reach,` she said. -Staff Reporter