Tuberculosis

In News: The WHO released the Global TB Report 2022 which considered the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the diagnosis, treatment and burden of disease for TB all over the world.

• 21.4 lakh TB cases notified in India in 2021

Findings:

• An estimated 10.6 million people fell ill with tuberculosis (TB) in 2021, an increase of 4.5% from 2020, and 1.6 million people died from TB (including 187 000 among HIV positive people).
• The burden of drug-resistant TB (DR-TB) also increased by 3% between 2020 and 2021, with 450 000 new cases of rifampicin-resistant TB (RR-TB) in 2021.
• The WHO report also noted the crucial role of nutrition and under-nutrition as a contributory factor to the development of active TB disease.

Indian Context:

• While the COVID-19 pandemic impacted TB Programmes across the world, India was able to successfully offset the disruptions caused, through the introduction of critical interventions in 2020 and 2021 – this led to the National TB Elimination Programme notifying over 21.4 lakh TB cases – 18% higher than 2020.
• India’s TB incidence for the year 2021 is 210 per 100,000 population – compared to the baseline year of 2015 (incidence was 256 per lakh population in India) and there has been an 18% decline which is 7 percentage points better than the global average of 11%.
• Stating that India had done better in major metrics as compared to other countries over time that the figures placed India at the 36th position in terms of incidence rates (from the largest to the smallest incidence numbers).
• It attributed this to measures including mandatory notification policy to ensure all cases were reported to the government etc. In 2021, over 22 crore people were screened for TB.
• In this respect, the TB Programme’s nutrition support scheme – Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana – has proved critical for the vulnerable. During 2020 and 2021, India made cash transfers of 89 million dollars (INR 670 crore) to TB patients through a Direct Benefit Transfer programme.
• In 2022, first-of-its-kind initiative, Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan was launched in India to provide additional nutritional support to those on TB treatment, through contributions from community including individuals and organisations.
• Till date, 40,492 donors have come forward to support over 10,45,269 patients across the Country, said the Ministry in its release

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Source: The Hindu