TB pushed back by swine flu brouhaha?

Every year on March 24, we observe the World TB Day. Has it just been reduced to mere tokenism? Apart from the doctors who treat tuberculosis patients and the media which tries to create awareness on health issues, is everyone in society really sensitive about the dreadful facts of this disease?

On this day in 1882, Dr Robert Koch declared for the first time in a gathering of scientists that tuberculosis was caused by a bacteria called as Mycobacterium Tuberculosis. Over the years, many bacteria were discovered from this Mycobacterium family which infect not only humans but also cattle. The Western world has virtually eliminated TB in their population. The Indian subcontinent, African countries (sub Saharan Africa) and parts of Russia still spend lots of resources on treating tuberculosis patients every year. India has the highest number of new TB cases every year.

Many chest physicians like me were aghast after seeing the brouhaha over the so-called 'swine flu' in the past couple of months. I do not want to negate the morbidity or mortality caused by flu epidemic but I just want to fetch everyone's attention to the threat looking at us eye to eye – tuberculosis. Let me make it simple for you: Mumbai has a population of 2 crore. In the past two months during the flu epidemic, approximately 25,000 H1N1 tests were performed, 550 individuals actually tested positive for H1N1 and close to 10 people lost their lives. These people were at high risk due to other medical issues like diabetes, pregnancy etc. As against that Mumbai loses 15 people every day due to tuberculosis (this is just the 2011 data). Ten lives lost in two months as against 15 lives lost every day.

What do you think is more significant? Even if it's flu epidemic, it is very annoying to see everyone running after wearing masks and taking flu shots and ignoring basic social hygiene like staying at home for 8 days covering the cough or sneeze, washing hands after covering the cough and most importantly, not spitting in public places!

It's high time that Indians stop spitting on roads, railway stations, bus stops and for that matter on the walls of buildings. Even countries like Sri Lanka and Thailand, which are economically weaker than India, are much ahead of us in the area of public cleanliness. This one single habit can turn the tables.

Correct medicines under the guidance of experts, compliance by the patient, good nutrition and a perfect public hygiene would help us curtail the TB menace within a decade's time.

— Dr Samir D Garde, chest physician, Global Hospital, Parel and Wockhardt Hospital, south Mumbai