Daily News Analysis

Tuberculosis

stylish_lining

Tuberculosis

Why in the News?

A large trial involving ~2800 people conducted in India has revealed that nutritional support plays a key role in cutting down tuberculosis (TB) disease rate and mortality reduction in TB infected patients.

TB and Nutritional deficit:

  1. Severe undernutrition is one of the contributing causes of deaths in TB patients.
  2. Undernutrition as a risk factor accounts for over 40% of new TB cases every year.

Key highlights of the study:

  1. Nutritional support led to 39% reduction in all forms TB disease (pulmonary and extra-pulmonary) and 48% reduction in microbiologically confirmed pulmonary TB.
  2. Early weight gain in the first two months was associated with 60% lower risk of TB mortality.
  3. Treatment w successful in 94% of TB patients and only 4% of mortality was reported during the trial period.

 

About:

Tuberculosis:

  1. An infectious bacterial disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis that commonly affect the lungs.
  2. Mode of transmission: A communicable disease transmitted from person to person via droplets from the throat and lungs of people with the active respiratory disease.
  3. Tuberculosis is preventable and curable.
  4. Those who are infected but not (yet) ill with the disease cannot transmit it.
  5. TB disease is usually treated with antibiotics and can be fatal without treatment.
  6. Symptoms: prolonged cough, chest pain, weakness, fatigue, weight loss, fever and night sweats.

Incidence if TB cases globally and in India:

  1. Global TB Report 2021: The estimated mortality rate among all forms of TB was 37 per 100,000 population in 2020.
  2. India has the highest burden of TB with two deaths occuring every three minutes from tuberculosis (TB).
  3. TB is the 13th leading cause of death and the second leading infectious killer after COVID-19 (above HIV and AIDS).
  4. The Covid-19 pandemic led to setbacks in the fight against TB in decades of gain achieved.
  5. Of the total number of people who develop TB each year, about 90% are adults, with more cases among men than women

Efforts taken so far:

  1. National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP)
    • Free of cost laboratory services to patients attending public health facilities and those referred from the private sector.
    • Special campaign to identify Active Case finding among risk groups: diabetes, chronic kidney and liver disease, patients on immuno-suppressants, etc.,

 

 

    • Adoption and adaptation of newer drugs and treatment modalities for TB control.
        • For instance, an injection-free treatment regimen for Drug-sensitive TB has been implemented across the country.
    • Decentralised TB services to the Ayushman Bharat – Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWC) to offer last-mile service delivery to TB patients.
    • Access to drugs including newer drugs to patients seeking care in the private sector has been given for free.
  1. National Strategic Plan for Elimination of Tuberculosis (NSP 2017- 25)
    • Four critical pillars of NSP 2017-25 includes
      1. Detect
      2. Treat
      3. Prevent – implementation of TB Preventive therapy to all household contacts.
      4. Build

 

  1. 18 States have committed to Ending TB by 2025 by formally implementing
    • State-specific Strategic Plans and
    • District-specific Strategic Plan
  2. TB comorbidities handling:
  1. Malnutrition
    1. Nutrition-TB App (N-TB App):
      1. Under Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD).
      2. facilitates the implementation of the technical aspects of the nutritional assessment and appropriate supplementation
  2. Tobacco smoking and alcohol
    1. Support through de-addiction centres
    2. Social Support systems to people struggling with alcoholism.
  3. HIV
    1. Provider Initiated Testing and Counselling (PITC) initiative for early detection of HIV among presumptive TB patients.
    2. Single-window TB and HIV services implementation
  1. TB Aarogya Sathi application
    • For people with TB with multi-language support
    • TB screening tool
    • Self-reporting bank account and treatment adherence feature.

Link: Trial done in India shows nutrition support prevents TB, related deaths - The Hindu

India's Criminal Justice System

The recent acquittal of the 12 men convicted in the Mumbai Train Blast Case (2006) by the Bombay High Court has reignited debate over the effectiveness and integrity of India's criminal justic
Share It

India's Aviation Safety

The preliminary report of the Air India Boeing 787 crash in Ahmedabad by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) remains inconclusive, raising troubling questions about the pilot's i
Share It

Antimicrobial Resistance

India’s steps to regulate the use of antibiotics in food animal production reflect a growing global consensus on the need to address Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). The potential consequence
Share It

solar energy potential

India’s push toward leveraging its vast solar energy potential represents a critical strategy for accelerating the transition to net-zero emissions by 2070, as part of its long-term climate
Share It

submarine cables

The issue of securing submarine cables is increasingly being recognized as a sovereign imperative in today's data-driven world. Subsea cables are crucial infrastructure for global communicatio
Share It

STEM

The gender gap in STEM is a critical issue that continues to impede the full realization of India's potential in the global knowledge economy. Despite the notable strides in educational achiev
Share It

ASEAN

India's strategic engagement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is vital for its economic, technological, and geopolitical positioning in a rapidly changing global landsca
Share It

State Finances and Budgets in India:

State finances play a crucial role in shaping India's broader economic landscape. With India’s federal structure, states not only drive local governance priorities but also contribute si
Share It

India’s Role in the Global Medical Workforce

India has long been a key supplier of skilled medical professionals to the global market, providing healthcare workers to countries in the Global North. However, while India excels in the export o
Share It

Critical Minerals

As the 21st century is increasingly defined by technology-driven advancements, critical minerals have emerged as one of the most significant geo economic assets. India, while a global powerhouse i
Share It

Newsletter Subscription


ACQ IAS
ACQ IAS