The New Nation - Internet Edition

Our Correspondent, Chittagong

Health experts at a news conference here in the port city on Sunday emphasized the need for building public awareness to better combat reemerging tuberculosis in the country.

Chittagong Divisional unit of Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC) hosted the news conference ahead of the world tuberculosis day (TB) 2008 was observed on Monday.

"I'm stopping tuberculosis" has been made the theme of this year's campaign against the disease.

Different private voluntary development organizations (PVDOs) undertook programs to mark the day. The programs included campaign rally, seminar, talk-show on the audio-visual outlets and satellite clinics for screening tuberculosis in the remote areas.

The anti-tuberculosis campaigners said that attention had largely been putting on the "Directly Observed Treatment Short Course (DOTS)" in eradicating tuberculosis from country since the ratification of the strategy in 1993.

Simple self care is enough to resist spread of the disease and matured tuberculosis is no more dreadful because of easy and accessible medication facilities made available at the doorstep of the grass root people. Dr. Ahmed Hossain, Dr. Sanjoy Paul, Dr. Abdul Ahad Talukdar, Dr. Nurunnabi and SM Bazlul Haque of the BRAC among others addressed the news conference.