BAJURA: Eighteen persons have died of tuberculosis in Bajura district in the last five years. The District Health Office here released this statistics on Tuesday, the World Tuberculosis Day.

As per the data shared by the Office, a person succumbed to tuberculosis in the fiscal year, 2077/78, while three persons in 2078/79, two in 2079/80, six in 2080/81, four in 2081/82 and two persons in 2082 (till mid March).

In the fiscal year, 2081/82, the district recorded the number of people suffering tuberculosis at 141. Currently, 81 persons have been taking medicine regularly against the disease, according to information officer Kumar Neupane.

Among nine local levels, Badimalika municipality has the highest number of tuberculosis sufferers. There are 219 such persons per 100 thousand population.

Former chairman of FNJ in Bajura, Prakash Singh, said it was urgent to launch public awareness and TB screening at community level as the alarming data showed. He suggested the district office that it worked in a way to ensure result at local level.

Chief of District Hospital, Dr Chandra Shekhar Yadav, said that tuberculosis should not only be regarded as a disease to talk about on Tuberculosis Day but a serious health problem warranting important intervention.