IMPORTANT STATISTICS RELATED TO TUBERCULOSIS
- It is the world’s leading cause of death from a single infectious agent and among the top 10 causes of death.
- TB was also both the leading killer of people with HIV in 2024 and a major cause of deaths related to antimicrobial resistance.
- In 2024, an estimated 10.7 million people fell ill with TB worldwide, including 5.8 million men, 3.7 million women and 1.2 million children. TB is present in all countries and age groups.
- Multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) remains a public health crisis and a health security threat. Only about 2 in 5 people with drug-resistant TB accessed treatment.
TUBERCULOSIS IN INDIA
- India accounts for 26% of the world’s TB burden.
- In India, prevalence rate is also high 316/100000 of population.
- Prevalence of TB in HIV patient is high >30% of total TB cases in country.
IMPORTANT ELIMINATION STRATEGIES IN INDIA
India has undertaken many mission mode steps to fast track the process of TB elimination
- TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan: launched in December 2024. Under the program screening of 19 crore vulnerable individual for TB is done. Leading to detection of over 24.5 lakh TB patients of which 8.61 lakh were asymptomatic.
Low detection has been a big road block for India’s target to eliminate tuberculosis. Increased testing is instrumental in achieving our goal. The most important feet is detection of asymptomatic cases because their detection are pivotal in reducing the infection rate.
- Largest TB laboratory network: Comprising 9391 rapid molecular testing facilities and 107 culture and drug susceptibility testing laboratories. To fast-track community screening efforts, over 500 AI-enabled hand held chest X-ray units are available throughout the country.
Through 1.78 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs across the country, the program has been able to decentralize services and take TB care closer to communities.
- Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana(NPY): Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has expanded nutritional support provided to TB patients under Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana by DBT.
Not just nutritional support, over 6,77,541 individuals and organizations have enrolled as Ni-kshay Mitras and distributed over 45 lakh food baskets to TB patients.
- Differentiates TB approach: By this approach high risk TB patients are identified based on clinical parameters and presence of co-morbidities that impact treatment outcomes and are accordingly provided individualized and tailored treatment to ensure recovery.
Also, the ASHA workers have been trained to identify early warning signs in TB patients in their areas for referring the TB patients immediately to higher treatment facilities.
These efforts reflect a strong and growing public-private-community partnership in India’s fight against TB.
In India’s commitment to making TB elimination a people’s movement and ensuring that no patient feels alone on their journey to recovery.
MBH/PS