The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has launched the annual Tuberculosis (TB) Report 2020

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  The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has launched the annual Tuberculosis (TB) Report 2020

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Key point - 

1. India is committed to eliminating tuberculosis from the country by 2025, five years ahead of the global target by the World Health Organisation (WHO) i.e. 2030. To align with the desired goal, the programme has been renamed from the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) to National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP).

State TB Index - 

1. Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh were the top three best-performing states for TB control under the category of states with 50 lakh population.
2. Tripura and Nagaland were best-performing in the category of states having less than 50 lakh population.
3. Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Daman and Diu were selected as the best performing Union Territories.

Missing Patients –

1. According to the report, India notified the highest number of 24.04 lakh tuberculosis cases last year (2018) as against an estimated 26.9 lakh cases by WHO, indicating that around three lakh patients missed out from the national TB programme.

Treatment Success Rate – 

1. 79,144 deaths due to tuberculosis were reported in 2019, which is much lower than the WHO estimate of 4.4 lakh. Treatment success rate is around 70-73% in the last two years. From 2014-2016, it was between 76 and 77%.

Indian Efforts - 

1. The Nikshay Ecosystem - National TB information system is a one-stop solution to manage information of patients and monitor program activity and performance throughout the country.
2. Nikshay Poshan Yojana (NPY) - Scheme to provide financial support to patients for nutrition.
3. TB Harega Desh Jeetega Campaign - Launched In September 2019 it is showcasing the highest level of commitment for the elimination of TB.
4. The Saksham Project - Project of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) to provide psycho-social counselling to Drug Resistant TB (DR-TB) patients.

Causes and transmission - 

1. TB is caused by bacteria (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) that most often affect the lungs and it is spread from person to person through the air.
2. 8% of TB cases can be attributable to tobacco usage.
3. People living with HIV are the most vulnerable among all those TB patient groups. India accounts for 9% of all HIV-associated TB deaths in the world, the second-highest number globally.
4. The other such group is patients suffering from diabetes. 20% of all TB cases in India also suffer from diabetes.

Symptoms - 

1. Cough with sputum and blood at times, chest pains, weakness, weight loss, fever and night sweats.

Treatment -

1. TB is treated with a standard 6-month course of 4 antimicrobial drugs that are provided with information, supervision and support to the patient by a health worker or trained volunteer.
2. Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is a form of TB caused by bacteria that do not respond to isoniazid and rifampicin, the 2 most powerful, first-line anti-TB drugs. 
3. MDR-TB is treatable and curable by using second-line drugs.
4. Extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB) is a more serious form of MDR-TB caused by bacteria that do not respond to the most effective second-line anti-TB drugs.

The road ahead - 

1. Robust efforts are needed to improve the early and accurate diagnosis followed by a prompt treatment.
2. Collaboration with global efforts which are being done to eliminate the TB.
3. Need for expanding laboratory network and diagnostic facilities to cover the whole country under the National TB Elimination Programme. 
4. Requirement of the crucial contribution from the private sector in providing quality care.
5. There is a need to fight the stigma around the disease so that every TB patient can seek care with dignity and without discrimination.

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