95% of tuberculosis patients recover after treatment: Dr. Ayesha Akhter

Dr Ayesha Akhter, deputy director of the 250-Bed TB Hospital, said that 95 percent of tuberculosis patients recover after treatment.

She said that the number of tuberculosis patients is increasing in Bangladesh as the rate of the disease has gone up worldwide. Tuberculosis is not only limited to low-income people, high-income people in villages and cities are also affected by this disease.

Dr. Ayesha Akhter said that according to a study published on World Tuberculosis Day in 2024, an average of 1,038 people are infected with tuberculosis every day in the country. Ann average of 13 people are cured with medicine while an average of 115 people die of tuberculosis every day.

Dr. Ayesha Akhter shared this information while talking to View Bangladesh recently.

She said that if the disease is detected early and treated according to the rules, 95 percent of people recover.

On March 24, like the rest of the world, Tuberculosis Day is celebrated in Bangladesh to increase social awareness. Last year, the slogan of Tuberculosis Day was, 'Yes, we can eradicate tuberculosis.'

Dr. Ayesha Akhter said that as of December 2024, among those treated for respiratory problems at the 250-bed Shyamoli TB Hospital, there were 31,761 male patients, 25,502 female patients and 4,905 child patients. In 2023, the total number of patients was 92,660. In 2022, there were 74,773. In 2021, there were 5,666 and in 2020, there were 4,354 tuberculosis patients.

However, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) report, the number of tuberculosis patients in Bangladesh is estimated to be 379,000 across the country. In the 2023 survey, the National Tuberculosis Control Program identified 311,564 patients.

On the other hand, statistics from the National Tuberculosis Control Program say that 56 percent of the patients identified in 2023 are male and 42 percent are female while 826 tuberculosis patients have been identified daily and 19 have died.

Dr. Ayesha Akhter said that since the World Health Organization declared tuberculosis a global emergency in 1993, the government and non-governmen organizations in Bangladesh have been working tirelessly to control the outbreak of tuberculosis.

She said that tuberculosis is not a contagious disease, and tuberculosis is treatable. Stating that smoking is not the only cause of tuberculosis, she said: "Even if you have HIV, diabetes and kidney disease, there is a possibility of contracting tuberculosis. That is why children are given BCG vaccination after birth."