Dimapur, March 23 (EMN): Governor of Nagaland and Aurnachal Pradesh, PB Acharya has appealed to all concerned departments, civil society, NGOs, student organisations, etc. to create awareness and ‘Unite to End TB.
Governor in his message stated that World TB Day, falling on March 24 each year, is designed to build public awareness that tuberculosis today remains an epidemic in much of the world, causing the deaths of nearly one-and-a-half million people each year, mostly in developing countries.
He called on organised groups like ex-service men, university students, Bharat Scouts & Guides, Red Cross Society, enlighten citizens etc. to come forward in their individual and organisational capacities to banish TB as a National agenda. The Governor said that in a democracy it is not only the Government but also enlightened groups that play a role in nation building.
He said that TB is a completely curable disease at very low-cost through Directly Observed Treatment Short Course (DOTS) treatment administered by the government. However, he added that treatments and diagnostic tests should be accessible by each and every person affected by tuberculosis all over the world and death rate of this disease should be brought to zero.
Acharya said that India has a large burden of the world’s TB and called on to take measures to prevent spreading TB by getting the right treatment quickly and follow it through to completion. He also added studies reveal that each year, about 2.2 million people develop TB in India and an estimated 2,20,000 people expire due to the disease. In North East five percent of TB patients die annually on an average.
“These data clearly indicate that we need to take more steps to eradicate this killing ailment from the world,” Acharya added.
