India initiates process to formulate guidelines for tuberculosis

India is the first country which has initiated the process of formulating standardised clinical guidelines for managing extra-pulmonary tuberculosis that occurs in the body other than lung parenchyma.

The Union Health Ministry in collaboration with the AIIMS are in the process of framing standardised clinical guidelines in this regard. According to Medical experts, there are no specific guidelines to diagnose the tuberculosis outside the lungs set by any nation in the world.

"Tuberculosis affects all organs of the human body, and managing it requires good clinical judgement and investigation services. This process of getting clinical guidelines is the first step towards providing high quality TB management services to the large number of people who have TB outside their lungs," said S K Sharma, Head of the medicine department at AIIMS and Professor-in-charge of its newly established Center of Excellence for Managing Extra-Pulmonary TB.

Over 47 medical specialist from across the country will work together to formulate the guidelines. These medical specialists will be divided into five groups, which will look after the occurrence of TB in various other parts of the body.

As per AIIMS doctors, the inadequate infrastructure and resources at the peripheral level to identify, diagnose and treat extra pulmonary tuberculosis and non-availability of skilled and trained staff for appropriate sample collection, transportation and diagnosis are some of the major challenges to tackle the extra pulmonary tuberculosis.

Sharma said that while India has been traditionally home to the largest number of people affected by TB, there has been dramatic improvements over the past two decades in reducing deaths due to the disease with the help of constant laboratory, clinical and supervisory services.