A campaign has been launched to make four local levels of Baglung, which are highly infected, tuberculosis-free municipalities.

A tuberculosis-free campaign has been launched in Baglung Municipality, Kathekhola Rural Municipality, Badigad Rural Municipality and Galkot Municipality.

Many infected people are found in these municipalities, while the infection rate is high throughout the district. Dev Prakash Ghimire, Senior Tuberculosis Inspector at the Provincial Public Health Office, Baglung, said that despite efforts to control tuberculosis through search campaigns, drug treatment and prevention campaigns, the success has not been as expected.

He said that despite efforts to find out the rate of infection and bring them under the scope of treatment, the infection is increasing as some potential infected people have not been brought under the scope of treatment. "We have been able to detect only 111 cases per 100,000 population so far," Ghimire said, "The infection is estimated at 238 cases per 100,000." He said that the disease can be brought under control only if everyone can be brought under treatment after a detailed study according to this estimate.

Arrangements have been made to provide tuberculosis medicine in all health institutions of Baglung, while gene extraction machines are installed at Burtiwang Hospital and Dhaulagiri Hospital to test for tuberculosis. Tuberculosis kills hundreds of people every year. If tuberculosis is found in people with other diseases, the mortality rate increases. Therefore, health workers have been asking every patient to get tested for tuberculosis.

Public Health Administrator Praveen Sharma informed that tuberculosis, which is transmitted through inhalation, can affect the lungs and all parts of the body. "We became more aware during the spread of Corona, but the infection is increasing because the general public does not understand that tuberculosis is also transmitted through breathing," he said. "To prevent the spread of infectious diseases, isolation should be increased and regular treatment should be provided." In the municipality, where the search campaign has been intensified, the infected have been brought under the scope of treatment by going door to door. He said that even the children of the families found infected have been given medicine for three months. According to the data of the

office, in Baglung alone, 264 people, including 103 women and 161 men, were confirmed to have tuberculosis in the last fiscal year 2081/082. 19 of them died. In the first 8 months of the current year, this number is 144. 86 men and 58 women were infected, and 18 people have died in eight months. The most infected people were found in the municipalities where intensive searches were conducted this year. Ghimire said that if the general public is made aware of tuberculosis and brought under the scope of timely treatment, it will be cured. However, the mortality rate has increased because other infections are more common in those with tuberculosis. HIV-infected people are also more likely to die if they contract tuberculosis, and patients with fossae or other sensitive parts of the body should also be protected from tuberculosis, he said.