Sudurpaschim sees growing number of TB deaths

By Prakash Bikram Shah,Dhangadi, Mar 24: A total of 61 people died of tuberculosis (TB) in the last eight months in Sudurpaschim Province. Of which, 23 were from Kailali district.

Manoj Ojha, an officer at Sudurpaschim Province Health Directorate, who looks after TB and Leprosy, said TB has caused the deaths of 61 people across the province in the current fiscal year.

According to him, the number of TB patients rises in every mid-March to mid-July in the province, so it is estimated that the death toll may increase further during these months.

Lal Bahadur Dhami, head of the District Health Office, Kailali said the number of patients increased because a huge number of migrant workers returned home from neighboring Indian cities for the upcoming Chaite Dashain festival.

Compared to India, the number of tuberculosis patients has increased by 6.5 per cent in Nepal, where almost half of the total population – 45 percent – is infected with TB and the most affected population – 60 percent – is the productive age group (18-45 years).

A total of 104 people died of TB in the fiscal year 2020/21 in Sudurpaschim Province, while 119 died in 2021/2. The figures for Kailali is 45 and 56 respectively. 

“Death toll increased because the TB patients remained undiagnosed, some denied taking treatment, some had no access to treatment, while some could not take the medicine regularly,” he added.

In the last eight months, 1,800 people have been diagnosed with TB, while in 2020/21, a total of 2,800 new patients were diagnosed and 2,434 in 2021/22.

Similarly, in the last fiscal year, a total of 1,433 patients were diagnosed with TB, while 773 were diagnosed with the disease in the current fiscal year.

Sudurpaschim Province Health Directorate aims to diagnose 6,000 TB patients in Sudurpaschim and 2,100 patients in Kailali.

Tuberculosis is considered a major public health problem by the Government of Nepal. The country pledged to end tuberculosis by 2035.

March 24 is marked as World TB Day to raise public awareness about the devastating health, social and economic consequences of TB and to step up efforts to end the global TB epidemic.