Internation a l P h a r m a c eu t i ca l S t u d e nt s ’ Fed e rat i o n

IPSF NEWSLETTER Issue N°85

Anti-TB Precampaign
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International Pharmaceutical Students’ Federation

 IPSF NEWSLETTER
Summary
IPSF Public Health Edition

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Anti-TB Campaign Newsletter
Facts about
tuberculosis
Dear fellow IPSFers,
From the land of multi cultures, ages of history
and different customs I fold my hands and greet

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everyone. NAMASATE (Indian way of saying
What’s DOTS?
hello).
The World Health organization (WHO) has
declared 24th of March as the World Tuberculosis

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Day and in response to this, the International
Questions/ Pharmaceutical Students’ Federation (IPSF)
Aswers would like to invite you to take part in the annual
TB Awareness Campaign to enlighten few more
men and women against the dreadful disease of
tuberculosis.

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Ideas for the
ALERT TODAY… ALIVE TOMMORROW
Campaign
YOUR LIFE IS NOT FOR TB TO BORROW.

For any information and guidance please feel

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free to contact me at (tb@ipsf.org).
Useful Links
Special Thanks Regards
Last but not Singh
Jasmit 010 – 2011
least nator 2
TB Coordi
Anti-TB Precampaign

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IPSF NEWSLETTER

TB is among the 1.7 million

three greatest
Facts about tuberculosis
people died from
causes of TB (including 380
death among
women aged 15-
000 women) in
44. 2009.
9.4 million 5.8 million
new TB cases TB cases were
(including at notified through
least 3.3 million the DOTS
women) in programs in
2009 . 2009.
Current Estimation

Between the years 2000 and 2020,

nearly one billion people will be
newly infected, 200 million people
will get sick, and 35 million people
will die from TB – if control is not
Anti-TB Precampaign

further strengthen

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 IPSF NEWSLETTER
What’s
DOTS?
DOTS or Directly Observed Treatment Short course is the
internationally recommended strategy for TB control that has
been recognized as a highly efficient and cost-effective strategy.

DOTS comprises of five components:

1. Sustained political and financial commitment.
2. Diagnosis by quality ensured sputum-smear microscopy.
3. Standardized short-course anti-TB treatment (SCC) given
under direct and supportive observation (DOT).
4. A regular, uninterrupted supply of high quality anti-TB drugs.
5. Standardized recording and reporting.

Since 1995, 41 million people have been successfully treated

and up to 6 million lives saved through DOTS and the Stop TB
Strategy
Anti-TB Precampaign

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IPSF NEWSLETTER

QUESTIONS/ANSWERS
What are the
Who can symptoms of TB?
get TB? • Cough persisting for more than 2-3 weeks,
sometimes blood in the cough
Anyone can get TB: • Low degree fever (usually at night)
the rich, the poor,
• Weight loss, reduced appetite and
the young and the weakness
elderly.
• Pain in the chest at times
• Breathlessness in later stages of the disease
TB can be
transmitted from one
person to another
through the droplets How is TB
when an infected
person coughs, diagnosed?
sneezes or talks. • General physical examination
• Sputum Test: - Sputum testing is most
This makes TB a inexpensive and reliable way to diagnose TB. A
Anti-TB Precampaign

serious public health Positive sputum test indicates presence of the

problem. germs in the mucus.
• Chest X-ray

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QUESTIONS/ASWERS
What care
should be
taken once TB
is diagnosed?
• Do not panic. Be assured of the
cure.
• Take medicines regularly for
complete duration
• (6 months or longer as per the
medical advice)
• Eat a balanced diet, lots of
vegetables and fruit.
• Use a cup with household
disinfectant and spit in that cup only.
Do not spit elsewhere.
• Use handkerchief while coughing.
• Try to stay in well ventilated
environments.
• Go for a sputum test regularly as
advised by the doctor.
IPSF NEWSLETTER
What can
we DO?
Given the high utilization of
pharmacy services, we may be
the first and the last people to
meet the patient. We as pharmacy
students and young pharmacists
are in the position of being health
care providers who are in primary
contact with our patient. We can
contribute significantly to different
tasks essential for quality TB care.
We can assist in early identification
of TB suspects and refer them for
diagnosis thereby reducing delays
in diagnosis, saving costs of care
and increasing case detection.
Anti-TB Precampaign
Finally making the
earth free from TB.
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IPSF NEWSLETTER

IDEAS for the Campaign

Standing
freeze for 1
Interactive
or 2 minutes in
Organize a activities.
areas near the
charity run and
campaign
raise maximum
funds possible.
Distribute a
handkerchief. Motivate people
to cover mouth
Set up an or nose with
information handkerchief while
desk with they sneeze.
flyers, posters,
Anti-TB Precampaign

guidelines of TB
treatment.
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 IPSF NEWSLETTER
IDEAS for the Campaign

Ask a
pharmaceutical
company to
donate Anti-TB Collaborate
drugs. with other local
or national TB
organizations.

Invite TB patients
to come to your
faculty to carry out a This can
workshop about TB be inside the
awareness. mall or other
Anti-TB Precampaign

public places.

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IPSF NEWSLETTER

Useful Links
Special Thanks
www.who.int/tb
I would like to give thanks to
www.worldtbday.org
my sub committee members
www.itfweb.org
for all their efforts.
www.theunion.org/
Johanna Walz
Samrin
Karvin Mehta
Jasmit Singh

Last but not least

The World TB Day is on 24th March. But if you cannot organize a campaign
this day, it is not too late.
You can still organize it anytime throughout the whole year! So just do it!
Organize an event whenever it is the most convenient for you.
Remember to share your campaigns with other IPSF member by writing an
activity report and submitting it to IPSF.
For any information, ideas, resources or help, please contact:
Sharon Leung - Chairperson of Public Health at publichealth@ipsf.org
Jasmit Singh - TB Coordinator at tb@ipsf.org
Anti-TB Precampaign

Good Luck with your campaigns.

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International Pharmaceutical Students’ Federation

P.O BOX 84200

2508 AE Den Haag
The Netherlands

Tel: +31 70 302 1992

Fax: +31 70 302 1999

Email: ipsf@ipsf.org
Website: www.ipsf.org