Speakers at a seminar on Thursday called for launching drive to create awareness among the people of precautionary measures against tuberculosis (TB). TB caused by micro-bacteria, is one of the Pakistan's worst enemies as the country presently ranks 8th among 22 high-burden tuberculosis countries where more than 22 million people infected by the disease every year. The seminar was organised by Human and environment development association (HAEDA) here in connection with international tuberculosis day. They said that the number of tuberculosis (TB) patients in the country had increased to 1.5 million as the disease spreading rapidly due to poor living standards, lack of healthcare and low-quality drugs. Speaking on this occasion President Human and environment development association (HAEDA) Dr Saeed Ahmed has said that about 60,000 TB patients die and another 250,000 are added to the pool of the TB patients every year in Pakistan. Thus, the country needed to tackle the menace of TB on an emergency basis. Though many steps were being taken by the government but more efforts were needed on the part of NGOs and the public at large to eradicate the disease from the country, they maintained.