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Mission TB-free world

By embracing TB-free India Campaign, Rajasthan has joined forces to clean sweep the bacteria by 2025. Amit Bhatt zeroes in the advice of experts

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A few years back it was believed that Tuberculosis (TB) has been brought under control. But now, because of multiple reasons such as drug resistance and HIV, the disease has again raised its tentacles and is posing a big threat to the world. As per the reports, things are severe in India. Considering the threat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently launched a campaign to eradicate TB from India by 2025, five years ahead of a globally-set deadline. Joining hands to accomplish the mission, Rajasthan too has come forward to embrace TB-free India Campaign under the National Strategic Plan for TB Elimination.

In Rajasthan, the mortality rate for TB is around 22%. As per medical and health department data, Rajasthan has 1,06,947 TB patients of which 84,537 TB patients were notified from government hospitals and 22, 410 from private hospitals during the period of January 1 to December 31 , 2017.

There were around 25,000 patients of Multiple Drug Resistant (MDR) TB and more than 12 cases of extensively drug resistant (XDR) TB were diagnosed last year.

“TB spreads through the air when people who have an active TB infection cough, sneeze, or otherwise transmit their saliva through the air,” Dr Narendra Khippal, Senior Professor, Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Sawai Man Singh Medical College said. “A person with active but untreated tuberculosis may infect 10–15 other people per year. Most infections does not show symptoms and is latent, but about one in 10 latent, infections eventually progresses to active disease,” added Dr Khippal.

Earlier, detecting MDR TB through conventional method used to take a long time. The result of mycobacterium culture and sensitivity of sputum was known in 2-3 months, but with introduction of cartridge based nucleic acid amplification test (CBNAAT) labs, the test results come within 24 hours and diagnosis has become easy. CBNAAT machines have been set up in the state in last 8-9 months.

JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED

“It is very important that people who have TB disease are treated, finish the medicine, and take the drugs exactly as prescribed,” Dr Shubhranshu, TB specialist at Narayana Hospital said. “If they stop taking the drugs too soon, they can become sick again. If they do not take the drugs correctly, the TB bacteria that are still alive may become resistant to those drugs,”he added.

IT’S CONTAGIOUS 

The bacteria that cause TB are spread through the air from person to person when a person with TB disease coughs, speaks, or sings. People nearby may breathe in these bacteria and become infected Active TB infection commonly involves the lungs and symptoms are a chronic cough with blood-tinged sputum, fever, night sweats and weight loss. Diagnosis of active TB relies on chest X-rays, as well as microscopic examination and microbiological culture of body fluids.

TB Patients in Rajasthan

  • 1,06,947 lakh patients 
  • 84,537 patients notified from govt hospitals
  • 22,410 patients notified from private hospitals
  • Around 25,000 patients of MDR TB
  • More than 12 cases of XDR TB were diagnosed last year
  • Mortality rate is around 22%.
  • 16 cases/lakh population- Notification rate in 2015
  • 29 cases/lakh population-Notification rate in 2017

TB diagnosis and treatment in Rajasthan

  • 34- District TB centers
  • 283- TB units for treatment of TB
  • 848- microscopy centers
  • 2,000- TB treatment centers
  • 48-  CB NAAT laboratories to diagnose MDR TB
  • 6,566- average tests done every month.
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