KARACHI: More than 93,000 children in Pakistan are diagnosed with tuberculosis every year, according to figures presented at a joint conference where the World Health Organization and partners reviewed the country’s escalating TB crisis.
The WHO noted that Pakistan has 669,000 registered tuberculosis patients. Children account for 14% of TB cases in Pakistan.
The country ranks fifth globally in TB burden, and 73% of the tuberculosis burden in the Eastern Mediterranean region falls on Pakistan.
The conference was also told that joint efforts involving the WHO, the Ministry of Health and Médecins Sans Frontières are underway in Pakistan to improve treatment for children and curb the spread of the disease.
The meeting was organized with the cooperation of the WHO, the Ministry of Health and the Pakistan Paediatric Association.
