Friday, April 6, 2012

Practical Approach to Lung Health (PAL) in Bangladesh

Dr. Ahmed Parvez Zabeen presented a paper titled ‘Practical Approach to Lung Health (PAL) − A way forwards towards Health System Strengthening in Bangladesh’ in the 32 Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of Chest and Heart Association of Bangladesh (CHAB) on February 17, 2011 at BCPS Auditorium, Mohakhali, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Title:

Practical Approach to Lung Health (PAL) – a way forwards toward Health System Strengthening in Bangladesh.

Zabeen AP1, Hoque N2, Akhter H3
1Divisional Consultant, Dhaka Division, National Tuberculosis Control Programme (NTP), 2Assistant Professor, Respiratory Medicine, National Institute of the Disease of the Chest & Hospital (NIDCH), 3 Honorary Consultant, Microbiologist, TB STUDY GROUP(TSG), Dhaka.

Introduction
Bangladesh is number sixth TB high burden countries (HBCs) in the world. The implementation of Practical Approach to Lung Health (PAL) is an approach under Health System Strengthening (HSS), one of the components Stop TB Strategy. The burden of respiratory diseases is high and represents 50% of the outpatients at PHC in Bangladesh.PAL means quality diagnosis and treatment of common respiratory illness (over the age of five years) at primary healthcare facility (PHC).

Objectives
Successful development and implementation of PAL increases TB case detection, improves care quality of acute and chronic respiratory patients at first level of health care facility (PHC), decreases unwanted drug prescription particularly antibiotics and adjuvant drugs, and reduces drug prescription cost per patient.

Methodology
NTP has taken up necessary actions for development and successful implementation of PAL in the country such as situation analysis and mobilization of resources; in near future constitute National PAL Working Group, develop guideline and training materials and supply equipments. PAL initiative will be piloted and gradually scaled up.


Results

An international expert visited National Tuberculosis Control Programme (NTP), Bangladesh assessed the situation and opined PAL can be successfully implemented in
Bangladesh. Following situation analysis NTP has placed a PAL as one of the Service Delivery Areas (SDAs) under The Global Fund (TGF), Round 8 and subsequently also included in TGF Round 10 proposals, TGF approved these proposals including the PAL.

Conclusion
PAL can be successfully implemented in the country with the expected results, for quality improvement in the management respiratory patients including increase in TB case detection.