QUETTA: Tuberculosis (TB) cases are rising in Balochistan, with prisons emerging as major hotspots. Officials reported 16,000 to 18,000 cases across the province this year.
Dr. Sher Afghan Raisani, Provincial Manager of the TB Control Programme, disclosed the figures at a press conference on Tuesday. He was joined by Quetta District Jail Superintendent SSP Hamidullah Pechi, Dr. Irfan, and other health experts.
Dr. Raisani said comprehensive health screenings were conducted for 3,000 prisoners across 12 prisons. The initiative also targets prison staff and security personnel.
He added that free TB diagnosis and treatment continue at 250 centers provincewide. In 20 districts, 650 doctors in government and private hospitals provide TB services. More than 100 modern FM microscopes and 30 AI-based digital X-ray machines have been deployed to modernize screening. Treatment centers for drug-resistant TB have increased from three to eleven.
For the first time, the Balochistan Health Department, TB Control Programme, Department of Prisons, and DoPasi Foundation coordinated a province-wide prison health screening.
In September, a one-month campaign screened 2,930 individuals, including 2,558 prisoners and 371 staff. Tests covered TB, HIV, Hepatitis B and C, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, mental health, nutrition, and lifestyle risk factors.
AI-activated digital X-rays flagged 139 suspected TB cases. GeneXpert testing confirmed 11 drug-sensitive TB cases, all of whom were immediately linked to treatment.
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HIV screening identified eight positive cases. Hepatitis B was detected in 61 individuals and Hepatitis C in 93. Female prisoners, though only 2.6% of the population, showed relatively higher rates of hepatitis.
The initiative aims to improve detection and treatment of communicable and non-communicable diseases in Balochistan’s prisons.
