Odishatv Bureau
Berhampur: Claiming about 200 lives every year, tuberculosis has become another major killer disease in Odisha's Ganjam district.
 
Around 38 per cent of the total HIV positive cases in Odisha are in Ganjam district.
 
This despite Revised Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) being implemented in the district with an aim to control the disease through Directly Observed Treatment Short course Strategy (DOTS) since February 16, 2004.
 
Besides DOTS Plus, a Multi-Drug Resistant TB programme was implemented in the district since April 1, 2009.
 
The cause of the high prevalence rate of TB in the district was suspected as Ganjam has the highest number of HIV positive cases. "TB and HIV are co-related and we have given much stress on TB control as it has the highest number of HIV positive cases in the state," said a senior medical officer.
 
Sources said 5338 TB cases were registered in the district in 2012 as against 5427 in 2011 and 5221 in 2010.
 
Similarly the number of death in the disease was registered at 189 in 2012. As many as 198 and 200 persons died in 2011 and 2010 respectively, official sources said.
 
The district observed the World TB Day yesterday. MLA (Berhampur) R.Ch Chyaupatnaik and chief district medical officer, Ganjam SN Routray addressed a meeting which stressed on spreading awareness among the people about the need for early treatment of TB was. necessary to minimize the death in the disease.
 
District TB officer G.Patnaik said the death rate in the disease in Ganjam was not an alarming compared to the national average. "Our percentage of death in the disease is calculated at 3.2 in 2012 as against 4 percent in national average," he said.
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