Global TB Report 2022

India’s TB incidence for the year 2021 is 210 per 100,000 population – compared to the baseline year of 2015 (incidence was 256 per lakh population in India) and there has been an 18% decline which is 7 percentage points better than the global average of 11%, said the Health Ministry, while reacting to the World Health Organizataion (WHO) Global TB Report 2022

About the Global TB Report 2022

According to the WHO reportan estimated 6 million people fell ill with tuberculosis (TB) in 2021, an increase of 4.5% from 2020, and 1.6 million people died from TB (including 187 000 among HIV positive people).

The organisation’s 2022 Global TB report added that the burden ofdrug-resistant TB (DR-TB) also increased by 3% between 2020 and 2021, with 450 000 new cases of rifampicin-resistant TB (RR-TB) in 2021.

The WHO report also noted thecrucial role of nutrition and under-nutrition as a contributory factor to the development of active TB disease.

This is the first time in many years an increase has been reported in the number of people falling ill with TB and drug resistant TB.

Ongoing conflicts across Eastern Europe, Africa and the Middle East have further exacerbated the situation for vulnerable populations

India and TB

While the COVID-19 pandemic impacted TB Programmes across the world, India was able to successfully offset the disruptions caused, through the introduction of critical interventions in 2020 and 2021 – this led to the National TB Elimination Programme notifying over 21.4 lakh TB cases – 18% higher than 2020

Measures included mandatory notification policyto ensure all cases were reported to the government

Intensified door-to-door Active Case Finding drivesto screen patients and ensure no household is missed and in 2021, over 22 crore people were screened for TB.

Theaim has been to find and detect more cases to arrest onward transmission of the disease in the community which has contributed to the decline in incidence.

Government Measures

National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP) aims at eliminating TB by 2025in India. It is crafted in line with other health sector strategies and global efforts, such as the World Health Organization’s (WHO) End TB Strategy.

Nikshay Portal:Nikshay is a unified ICT system for TB patient management and care in India and allows both public and private sector health care providers to manage their patients.

Nikshay Poshan Yojana (NPY):Under the Nikshay Poshan Yojana government provide financial help to TB Patients for their treatment. The government provides Rs 500/- per month financial incentive to TB patients for their treatment and food. Nikshay Poshan Yojana Money will be transferred directly to the patient’s bank account.

Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyanwas launched in India to provide additional nutritional support to those on TB treatment, through contributions from community including individuals and organisations.

India conducted its own National Prevalence Survey to assess the true TB burden in the country – the world’s largest such survey ever conducted.

BCG was first introduced in a limited scale in 1948 and became a part of the National TB Control Programme in 1962.

Tuberculosis TB

Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease caused by bacteria called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. TB is an ancient disease and has been documented to have existed in Egypt as early as 3000 BC.

TB most commonly affects the lungs (pulmonary TB), but it can also affect other organs(extra-pulmonary TB).

TB spreads through the airwhen a person with TB of the lungs or throat coughs, sneezes, or talks.

Common symptoms of TB are: Cough for three weeks or more, sometimes with blood-streaked sputum; Fever, especially at night; Weight loss and Loss of appetite.