BHAKTAPUR, March 24: Nearly half of tuberculosis (TB) patients in Nepal remain outside the treatment system, raising serious concerns about continued transmission, health officials warned as the country marked TB Day on Tuesday.
Observed under the slogan “Yes! We can end TB: National campaign, our contribution,” the day saw awareness programs held across the country alongside renewed commitments to eliminate the disease.
Dr. Bhuwan Paudel, Director of the National Tuberculosis Center, said stakeholders have pledged to work toward ending the TB epidemic by 2035 and making Nepal TB-free by 2050.
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He noted that 42 percent of TB patients are still outside the treatment system, with many hiding their illness and avoiding testing—factors that increase the risk of transmission. Limited use of technology has also hindered timely diagnosis, he added.
According to official data, 39,151 new drug-sensitive TB cases were identified in the fiscal year 2024/25. Of these, 39 percent were women, 61 percent men, and 5.6 percent were children below 15 years.
To strengthen control efforts, the government is providing TB treatment services through 6,241 health institutions. Microscopy services are available at 785 facilities, while rapid diagnostic services are being offered free of cost at 142 centers.
For drug-resistant TB, 31 treatment centers and 98 sub-centers are currently in operation. The “TB-Free Nepal Campaign” has been expanded to 149 local levels, while nine AI-assisted digital X-ray machines are being used for diagnosis.
Globally, tuberculosis continues to pose a major public health challenge, with around 10.7 million active cases and approximately 1.23 million deaths each year, according to the World Health Organization.
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