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In News: Dr Harsh Vardhan chairs High-Level Meet to review the launch of Jan-Andolan against Tuberculosis.
Key Highlights of the Meeting
- The Ministry of Health wants to declare 2021 as the year of Tuberculosis.
- Gains from the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme would feed into creating greater demand for services, de-stigmatize the disease and help realize the goal of a TB-free India by 2025.
- To further strengthen TB management and service delivery, engagement of the wider population and the spirit of Jan Andolan should be ensured through the following.
- Generation of awareness.
- Encouragement of health care seeking behaviour within the communities.
- De-stigmatization of TB.
- Lessons can be drawn from COVID pandemic management.
- National Technical Support Unit (NTSU) was also proposed to be set up.
- It will support the Government of India’s efforts, both nationally and in states.
- It will help strengthen on-ground program delivery by employing various advocacy and communications approaches to generate demand and create awareness on the services available under the TB program.
National Tuberculosis Elimination Program (NTEP)
- Elimination as defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO), means that there should be less than 1 person with TB for a population of a million people.
- Current Status: India accounts for about a quarter of the global TB burden.
- In 2018 the estimated TB incidence was 2,690,000.
- An estimated 9,700 HIV positive people died due to TB disease.
- An estimated 440,000 HIV negative people died.
- India is also the country with the second-highest number (after South Africa) of estimated HIV associated TB cases.
- Worldwide India is the country with the highest burden of both TB and MDR TB.
- The estimated incidence of people with MDR/RR-TB is 130,000.
- The level of drug resistant TB is one of the factors that may cause India not to reach the target of elimination by 2025.
- After partial success of NTEP, a Revised NTEP (RNTEP) was launched with National Strategic Plan 2017-2025.
National Strategic Plan 2017 – 2025
- The financial resources for TB control for 2017 – 2025 are to be doubled.
- The diagnostic tool CB-NAAT is to be rolled out across the country.
- The two new drugs Bedaquiline and Delamanid are also scheduled for a broader rollout.
- First and second-line drug susceptibility testing is in use or at least on the agenda.
- Also, patients with TB are tested for HIV and patients with HIV are tested for TB.
- Drug treatment is moving from intermittent therapy to daily fixed-dose combinations.
- The private sector is to be engaged and the Prime Minister has added his voice to the crescendo of endorsement.
About Tuberculosis
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Source: PMIndia
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