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Context: “Dare2eraD TB” initiative was launched by the Department of Biotechnology on the occasion of World TB Day.

 

Details

• The Union Government has announced the launch of Data-Driven Research to Eradicate TB- “Dare2eraD TB”.
• It was launched under the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology.
• The initiative was announced on the occasion of World TB Day (24th March).
• Dare2eraD TB will be the umbrella TB program comprising of following key initiatives;
  • InTGS - Indian Tuberculosis Genomic Surveillance Consortium.
  • InTBK Hub- Indian TB Knowledge Hub- Webinar Series.
  • Host Directed therapies against TB and developing an evidence-based regimen for treating extra-pulmonary Tuberculosis.

 

About Tuberculosis (TB)

• Tuberculosis (TB) is a potentially serious infectious disease that mainly affects the lungs.
• The ‘Mycobacterium tuberculosis’ bacteria that cause TB are spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
• Most people infected with the bacteria that cause tuberculosis don't have symptoms. When symptoms do occur, they usually include a cough (sometimes blood-tinged), weight loss, night sweats and fever.
• Treatment isn't always required for those without symptoms. Patients with active symptoms will require a long course of treatment involving multiple antibiotics.

 

Present Status of TB in India

• Tuberculosis is one of India's major public health problems. According to World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates, India has the world's largest tuberculosis epidemic.
• In 2020, India accounted for 26% of the incident TB cases across the globe.
• According to WHO, the estimated incidence figure of people in India struggling with TB stood at 2.64 million cases, as in 2019. This is a rate of 193 per 100,000 population
• India accounted for 38% of global TB deaths among HIV-negative people and for 34% of the combined total number of TB deaths in HIV-negative and HIV-positive people.
• Further in 2020, India accounted for 24% of the global gap between estimated TB incidence and the number of people newly diagnosed with TB and reported.

 

The National TB Prevalence Survey 2019-2021

• The survey was conducted by the Union Health Ministry.
  • It was the first of its kind nationwide study since 1955-58 conducted to know the actual disease burden at a national level.
• It was found that the prevalence of TB among Indians aged above 15 is 312 cases per one lakh; more than double the global average of approximately 127.
• Delhi recorded the highest incidents of pulmonary tuberculosis cases in India and Kerala recorded the lowest.
• It also showed that pulmonary TB prevalence in women is lower (154 per lakh) than men (472 per lakh).
• Data shows that about 64% of India’s TB symptomatic population was not able to seek healthcare services between 2019-2021. The reasons were;
  • Ignoring symptoms (64%)
  • Not recognising symptoms (18%)
  • Self-treatment (12%)
  • Couldn’t afford (2%)

 

Steps taken by the Government

• In 2020, the Indian government made statements to eliminate tuberculosis from the country by 2025 through its National TB Elimination Program.
  • Interventions in this program include major investment in health care.
  • Providing supplemental nutrition credit through the Nikshay Poshan Yojana.
  • Organising a national epidemiological survey for tuberculosis.
  • Organising a national campaign to tie together the Indian government and private health infrastructure for the goal of eliminating the disease.
• The Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology has also cultivated international partnerships for Tuberculosis research.
  • The Regional Prospective Observational Research in Tuberculosis (RePORT) India initiative, a bilateral collaborative effort is being supported under the aegis of the Indo-US Vaccine Action Programme (VAP), to advance tuberculosis (TB) research in India.
• The Government is in the process of making molecular diagnosis the first-line test for TB, ensuring more cases get diagnosed.
• The ministry's commitment to eliminating tuberculosis in the country by 2025.
  • As part of its efforts to eliminate tuberculosis, the Union Government changed the name of Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program (RNTCP) to National Tuberculosis Elimination Program (NTEP) in December 2019.

 

Way Forward

• The outbreak of Covid-19 and the emergence of new variants of coronavirus had brought unprecedented stress on the country’s healthcare system. It posed an extraordinary challenge to the healthcare infrastructure.
• The National TB Elimination Program was quick to deploy effective mitigation measures and adapted to the changed environment to ensure that the TB patients across the country had access to treatment, despite facing many challenges due to the pandemic.
• All Stakeholders must work together to achieve a TB-free India by 2025”.

 

https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1809180