Source: ECONOMICTIMES

Disclaimer: Copyright infringement not intended.

Context

The World Health Organization (WHO) released its Global TB Report 2024 on October 29, 2024. The report has acknowledged the tremendous progress India has made in closing the gap of missed TB cases since 2015.

Highlights of the report

TB Case Detection and Treatment Coverage

In 2023, India had around 27 lakh TB cases. 25.1 lakh cases were diagnosed and treated, raising treatment coverage to 89% (up from 72% in 2015).

 TB cases dropped from 237 per lakh population in 2015 to 195 per lakh in 2023. This 17.7% decline is more than double the global average decline of 8.3%.

Efforts to Decentralize Healthcare

India has set up over 1.7 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs to make healthcare accessible.

 Ayushman Arogya Mandir is an attempt to move from a selective approach to health care to deliver comprehensive range of services spanning preventive, promotive, curative, rehabilitative and palliative care.

 It has two components which are complementary to each other. Under its first component, 1,50,000 Ayushman Arogya Mandir will be created to deliver Comprehensive Primary Health Care, that is universal and free to users, with a focus on wellness and the delivery of an expanded range of services closer to the community.

 The second component is the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) which provides health insurance cover of Rs. 5 lakhs per year to over 10 crore poor and vulnerable families for seeking secondary and tertiary care. 

 Ayushman Arogya Mandirs are envisaged to deliver expanded range services that go beyond Maternal and child health care services to include care for non -communicable diseases, palliative and rehabilitative care, Oral, Eye and ENT care, mental health and first level care for emergencies and trauma , including free essential drugs and diagnostic services

Reduction in TB Mortality

TB deaths decreased from 28 per lakh population to 22 per lakh, a 21.4% reduction.

Increased Funding and Resources

India’s TB program budget increased from Rs. 640 crores in 2015 to Rs. 3400 crores in 2022-23. The program uses advanced diagnostic tools and provides free screening, diagnosis, and treatment.

The private sector contributed to 32.9% of TB case notifications in 2023. India is also using 800 AI-enabled portable chest X-ray machines and has 7,767 rapid molecular testing facilities across the country.

Nutrition Support for TB Patients

Under the Ni-Kshay Poshan Yojana, monthly nutritional support increased from Rs. 500 to Rs. 1,000 per patient. Energy Dense Nutritional Supplements (EDNS) are provided to undernourished TB patients.

 Ni-Kshay Mitras provide food baskets to the families of TB patients to improve immunity and reduce out-of-pocket expenses.

 Ni-Kshay Poshan Yojana  provides direct nutritional support to TB patients, addressing a critical need since malnutrition is a risk factor for TB. Patients receive financial aid to improve their dietary intake, which is vital for recovery and preventing further complications​.

New Treatment for MDR-TB

In September 2024, India introduced the BPaLM regimen for Multi-Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB), a shorter and effective treatment.

Read in detail: https://www.iasgyan.in/daily-current-affairs/new-treatment-regimen-for-drug-resistant-tb-in-india

Increase in TB Notifications

From January to September 2024, 19.88 lakh TB cases were reported, a 4.2% increase from the same period in 2023. Private sector notifications rose to 7.22 lakh cases (Jan-Sept 2024).

Achievements Under Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan

54,448 new Ni-Kshay Mitras registered, and 8.3 lakh food baskets distributed in 2024 (Jan-Oct). TB preventive treatment provided to 12.23 lakh beneficiaries in 2024.

Launched in 2022, this mission aims to eliminate TB in India by 2025, ahead of the global 2030 target. This program emphasizes community involvement, enlisting NGOs, corporates, and individuals as "Ni-Kshay Mitras" to support TB patients. The Ni-Kshay portal allows donors to provide nutritional, diagnostic, and vocational support to patients, reducing financial stress and promoting better treatment outcomes​.

Adult BCG Vaccination Study

A study on adult BCG vaccination began on January 10, 2024, with 14 States/UTs implementing it. Over 81.4 lakh vaccination doses have been administered.

The Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine, developed to prevent TB, has been part of India’s National TB Program since 1962, primarily for children. While the vaccine reduces severe TB forms in children, it offers limited protection in adults and doesn't fully prevent TB transmission​.

Read about Tuberculosis: https://www.iasgyan.in/daily-current-affairs/tb

Read about TB Report 2024: https://www.iasgyan.in/daily-current-affairs/india-tb-report-2024

Read about World Tuberculosis Day: https://www.iasgyan.in/daily-current-affairs/world-tb-day-47

Sources:

ECONOMICTIMES