KARACHI: Bridge Consultants Foundation (BCF) has raised serious concern over the growing burden of tuberculosis (TB) and drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) in Pakistan, warning that delayed diagnosis and underreporting continue to fuel the spread of the disease, particularly in Sindh.
In a statement, Executive Director BCF, Dr Syed Sharaf Ali Shah, said Pakistan remains among the top five TB-burden countries in the world, with nearly 600,000 new TB cases reported annually, including about 15,000 cases of drug-resistant TB. Sindh, he said, carries a significant share of this burden, disproportionately affecting marginalized and high-risk populations.
Dr Shah highlighted that poverty, malnutrition, social stigma, and limited access to quality healthcare are major drivers of TB transmission in the province. “Alarmingly, nearly one-third of TB cases remain undiagnosed or unreported, allowing the disease to spread silently within communities,” he said, adding that an untreated TB patient can infect 10 to 15 people each year, posing a major public health risk.
He stressed that TB and DR-TB are both preventable and curable if detected early and treated properly. “Timely screening, early diagnosis, free treatment available under the national TB programme, treatment adherence, proper nutrition, and stigma-free healthcare services are essential to ending TB,” he emphasized.
The BCF executive also underlined the urgent need to increase community awareness and demand generation for DR-TB testing, especially among vulnerable and key populations in Sindh, to interrupt transmission chains.
Calling for collective responsibility, Dr Shah urged communities, healthcare providers, policymakers, media, and civil society organizations to strengthen joint efforts. “Promoting TB screening, supporting patients to complete treatment, and ensuring inclusive, rights-based healthcare services are critical. Ending TB is not just a health priority—it is a moral responsibility for a just and healthy Pakistan,” he said.
BCF reiterated its call for early detection, complete treatment, and sustained public engagement to eliminate TB from the country.
