Stigma, limited access to technology hinder detection and care
KATHMANDU, MARCH 24
Around 42 percent of tuberculosis (TB) patients in Nepal remain outside the treatment system, posing a major challenge to the country's goal of eliminating the disease, health officials said on World Tuberculosis Day.
The day is being marked nationwide with awareness programmes under the theme "Yes! We Can End TB: National Campaign, Our Contribution."
Director of the National Tuberculosis Centre, Dr Bhuwan Poudel, said the observance underscores a renewed commitment to end TB by 2035 and make Nepal TB-free by 2050. He noted that stigma and patients' reluctance to disclose their condition, along with limited use of technology, have contributed to gaps in treatment coverage.
According to the centre, 39,151 new TB cases were detected in the fiscal year 2024/25. Of them, 61 percent were men, 39 percent women, and 5.6 percent children below 15 years.
The government currently provides TB treatment services through 6,241 health institutions. Among them, 785 facilities offer microscopy services, while 142 provide rapid testing free of cost. Additionally, 31 centres and 98 sub-centres are treating drug-resistant TB cases.
The "Tuberculosis-free Nepal Campaign" has been expanded to 149 local levels, with nine AI-assisted digital X-ray machines deployed to strengthen diagnosis.
Globally, an estimated 10.7 million people contract TB each year, with over 1.2 million deaths reported annually, according to health officials.
(With inputs from RSS)