Pakistan Anti TB Association

Health Complex,
16-K, Gulberg III,
Lahore, Pakistan.

Pakistan Anti TB Association (PATA) is a community based non profit, non government and single object organization working exclusively for treatment, rehabilitation and welfare of TB patients throughout the country, having national & international references and is a member of IUATLD-SEAR.

PATA started its journey in 1956 when a group of ex-TB patients established a chest clinic in Lahore, inaugurated by Miss Fatima Jinnah, the elder sister of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. As the time traveled this number proliferated and by the end of century there were more than one hundred associations scattered through out the country. All these associations are independent in their functioning, administration, fund raising and service delivery.

Executive Committee members of Anti TB Association (1956)
Sitting (L to R) Saeed-ur-Rehman, Dr. K. Sadiq Hussain, Mrs. C. B. Taseer, Dr. Riaz Ali Shah, Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah, Begum A. Akhlaq Hussain, Begum Khurshid Kaul, Ch. Abdul Majeed, M. Akram Minhas, Standing (L to R) M. Akram Dar, Hafiz M. Hanif, Ashfaq A.Sheikh, M. Akbar Khokhar, M. Aslam Mallick, Muhammad Jamil Qureshi

The Association held its first meeting on 25th September1955 at the residence of Mr. Saeed-ur-Rehman (a Ex TB patient) in Lahore. The house unanimously elected Dr. Riaz Ali Shah its first president. Doctors and leading social figures like Dr. A.H. Anwar, Mrs. C. Taseer, Mr. Khadim Hussain Butt, Mian Fazal-e-Ahmed, Begum G.A. Khan, Begum Zari Sarfraz, Sh. Niaz Ahmed, Ms. Riffat Rashid and many others joined the association. The very fact that government alone could not fight the menace of TB, served the basis for the development of this association and the need for volunteers in the association was strongly felt. Mohtarma Miss Fatima Jinnah, graciously accepted to become its Patron-in-Chief. Her first message was “Tuberculosis is the greatest problem undermining the health and wealth of our nation. Make the campaign against tuberculosis, a national war and rid Pakistan of this scourge. Obstacles in our way must be crossed and the difficulties overcome.” With the message she also donated Rs. 15,000/-.

Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah on inaugural ceremony of Karachi TB Association 1961
with Mr. M. Akbar Khokhar, Nawabzada Wajid Mehmood & Mr. Shabir Ud Din Ahmed

Marshal Law Administrator Zone C Lef. Gen. Tika Khan on occasion of TB Conference
organized by Anti TB Association in 1969

Marshal Law Administrator Zone C Gen. Iqbal Khan with staff of Anti TB Association
in 1979 on occasion of ceremony for sale of Eid TB Seals

Sardar Abdul Hameed Dasti, Health Minister West Pakistan became the patron of association. A convention was held under the president ship of Sardar Abdul Hameed Dasti at University Hall, Lahore on 12th April 1956. Dr. Riaz Ali Shah, Begum A. G Khan and Begum Khadija Feroz-ud-Din and others made their visionary speeches. The name of association was changed to “West Pakistan TB Association” during its second annual conference. The first executive committee of the association consisted of 17 members. Among it, there were 3 doctors, 5 distinguished persons from different walks of life and 9 Ex TB patients of which Mr. Muhammad Akbar Khokhar is still active and alive and is running an independent chapter of PATA as District Anti TB Association, Lahore.

The primary aims and objectives of the association were summed up. Initially the members used to hold meetings in the lawn of Mayo Hospital, Lahore. Later on, Col. Elahi Bakhsh, Principal, King Edward Medical College, Lahore was pleased to give professors' room. Workers of the association, there after, acquired a plot for association in the Main Market Gulberg II Lahore and a building was raised. The West Pakistan Association which was born at Lahore opened its branches in almost every district of the country. For instance, a branch started at Faisalabad (then Lyallpur) under the president ship of Mian Fazal-e-Ahmed. Another branch was established in Peshawar NWFP and Begum Zari Sarfraz was the president. In 1959, this movement also reached East Pakistan (now Bangladesh).

Now by the grace of God, Pakistan Anti TB Association has its firm roots across Pakistan and is playing a vital role to scale up the fight against TB and to realize its vision “Pakistan a country free of burden of TB”.

There is a country vide network of more than 100 Diagnostic Centers (Basic TB Management Units) for TB services with more than 200 associated Treatment Centers. During GFATM Round-2 project Pakistan Anti TB Association succeeded in detecting and registering 28,442 New Sputum Smear Positive cases and put them under DOTS strategy whereas the project target was limited to 22,000 NSS+ cases and achieved the treatment success rate of above 90% against 85% desired by WHO.