Prevalence of Tuberculosis in District Dir (Lower), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan from January 2010 to December 2011

Abstract

Introduction: Among the infectious diseases on the surface of the globe, Tuberculosis (TB) is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity. According to estimation, every minute eighteen people are affected with TB and among them three die. The present study was designed to find out the prevalence rate among the patients suspected of TB visiting different health care centers and hospitals in District Dir (Lower). 

Methods: Descriptive epidemiological study was designed. Data was collected from January 2010 to December 2011. The data was collected from TB centers and hospitals including TB center Ouch, District Head Quarter Hospital Timergara, Tehsil Head Quarter Hospital Chakdara, Tehsil Head Quarter Hospital Samar Bagh, Rural Health Center Shamshi Khan, Rural Health Center Lal Qilla, Rural Health Center Munda and Rural Health Center Gul Abad. PHStat2 version 2.5 was used for statistical analyses. P-value of <0.05 was considered as significant. 

Results: A total of 2800 patients were registered during the study period. About 55% of the registered patients from Shamsi Khan area were positive for TB. The overall prevalence was higher in females compared to males, 54% (582/1070) vs 46% (488/1070), respectively. Overall the prevalence rate was high among patients aged between 10-20 years. 

Conclusion: TB is prevalent in District Dir (Lower). Early case detection, proper treatment and awareness regarding the disease are necessary steps to control the TB in the area.