Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) is actively contributing to the national Tuberculosis (TB) Control Program in Sindh through close collaboration with CDC Pakistan. On September 14, 2023, a strategic meeting was held at Avari Towers, bringing together senior officials from CDC, DUHS, and WHO to discuss strategies for TB prevention, treatment, and monitoring under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) framework.
The meeting was attended by key representatives, including Dr. Zulfiqar Ali Dharejo (Deputy Director General, CDC), Dr. Salim Hasan Kazmi (SPPO Sindh CDC), Dr. Samreen Ashraf (Deputy Director CDC), Dr. Iftikhar Ahmed (Director OICD & Dean of Medicine, DUHS), and Dr. Khawaja Laeeq Ahmed (NPO TB, WHO Pakistan). The discussion focused on DUHS’s active involvement in the national TB control program policy development, including identifying challenges, developing strategies, monitoring, interventions, reporting on interventions for MOTT patients, and enabling adaptive management for the region, Pakistan.
Key outcomes of the meeting included:
- TB and MOTT Treatment Facilities: DUHS is establishing dedicated centers for TB and Mycobacteria Other Than Tuberculosis (MOTT) patients, ensuring proper interventions, medicine supply, and documentation.
- Integrated CDC Clinics: Plans were made to provide coordinated care for TB, HIV, and Hepatitis B & C patients, with ongoing monitoring of interventions and adherence to CDC national guidelines to reduce disease transmission.
- Health Information Management System (HIMS): DUHS is integrating its HIMS with CDC and DIHS2, enabling reporting on interventions and real-time data tracking to support adaptive management of TB programs.
- Capacity Building and Training: Continuous training programs are designed to strengthen implementation of TB interventions, enhance monitoring, and enable adaptive management for improved patient outcomes.
This meeting underscores DUHS’s pivotal role in supporting CDC Pakistan’s TB Control Program at the national level in Sindh, demonstrating a strong commitment to evidence-based interventions, monitoring, reporting, and adaptive management in the fight against tuberculosis.
