GS-2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation
Lessons from COVID-19 for TB Control
Context: The WHO reports that there are more than 10 million active TB cases in India. The country loses more than 4,00,000 lives every year due to TB (COVID-19 Pandemic resulted 1,54,000 deaths over one-year period).
Tuberculosis is a social disease because of following reasons
Due to overcrowding and malnutrition, it disproportionately affects the poor and the marginalised.
The stigma and myths associated with this disease lead to underreporting and under-diagnosis.
The long-drawn multi-drug treatment leads to poor compliance and drug-resistance, which hamper recovery.
Complications increase with a pre-existing illness like diabetes or co-infection with HIV.
Finally, the chronic nature of the disease and propensity to damage multiple organs increase mortality risk.
The lessons learned during the COVID-19 battle can do a lot in controlling TB i.e. Community driven efforts can help government’s target of TB-free India by 2025
Since TB spreads through droplets of infected persons, physical distancing can reduce disease transmission.
Patients with TB must wear a mask to prevent the spread of infection, and persons in the patient’s regular contact should wear a mask for self-protection.
Early diagnosis and treatment are the keys to success. One should use new diagnostic techniques that gives rapid and ultraprecise results compared to the traditional sputum test.
Finally, instant case notification helps in better case tracking and contact monitoring.
The fight against COVID-19 has led to increased awareness of respiratory infections, which may help remove the stigma associated with TB.
India’s efforts to contain the coronavirus succeeded due to improved coordination among central and state governments and innovative media campaigns which can be replicated for TB
Conclusion
A successful community-driven strategy, as shown during the Swachh Bharat campaign or COVID-19 control, if dovetailed with the existing TB control programme, which provides free diagnosis and treatment, can accelerate TB elimination.
