Paper: GS – II, Subject: Society and Social Justice, Topic: Social Sector-Health, Issue: Addressing TB burden in India.
Context:
PM Narendra Modi recently reviewed the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP) coming amid encouraging data on TB reduction trends.
Key Highlights:
Progress on Tuberculosis elimination: According to WHO’s Global TB Report 2024:
- Global TB incidence fell by 3.8% between 2015 and 2023.
- India outpaced this trend with a 17.7% reduction.
But challenges still persist:
- Lack of diagnosis: In 2023, an estimated 2.7 million Tuberculosis cases worldwide were undiagnosed or unnotified.
- Second order complications: Undiagnosed TB leads to delayed treatment, continued transmission and higher mortality.
- Silent transmission: Patients may not show symptoms (subclinical Tuberculosis), yet transmit disease. Around 50% of TB cases in India are from high-burden clusters, highlighting need for targeted diagnostics.
India’s Interventions:
- TB-Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan: TB-Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan has intensified door-to-door screening.
- New Generation Diagnostics:
- Adaption of Portable Chest X-rays with AI-assisted interpretation help detect lung abnormalities early which allows quick identification of “missing” cases.
- Point-of-care innovations: Use tongue or nasal swabs (non-invasive) which lowers cost and boosts early detection.
- Affordable, portable molecular diagnostic kits are being deployed. ICMR and Indian Council of Medical Research play a critical role in evaluating and scaling tools.
- Nationwide expansion: Government plans to scale up tech-enabled diagnostics nationwide.
Lessons from COVID Vaccine Experience:
- Public investment, global collaboration, and streamlined approvals can accelerate health responses.
- Similar strategies must now be applied to Tuberculosis vaccine development. India’s scientific infrastructure and manufacturing capacity make it suitable for equitable TB vaccine distribution.
Measures to improve Tuberculosis Care & Delivery:
- Patient centred care: Diagnosis, treatment, and care must become more risk-based and patient-centred:
- Use of risk stratification.
- Timely referrals to higher-level facilities.
- Improved inpatient care where needed.
- Integration of Diagnostics & Treatment:
- Diagnostics must guide clinical decision-making.
- Patient-level insights should determine the severity of disease, drug resistance and suitable line of care (outpatient vs inpatient).
- TB care needs to become customised and decentralised.
Conclusion:
To eliminate Tuberculosis, India must close the diagnostic gap, use new generation diagnostic tools and expand vaccine R&D using COVID-era lessons. India needs to promote equitable public health systems and combine scientific advancement, equity, and political will.
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/closing-in-on-tb-10104959/lite
La Excellence IAS Academy, the best IAS coaching in Hyderabad, known for delivering quality content and conceptual clarity for UPSC 2025 preparation.
FOLLOW US ON:
◉ YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/@CivilsPrepTeam
◉ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaExcellenceIAS
◉ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laexcellenceiasacademy/
GET IN TOUCH:
Contact us at info@laex.in, https://laex.in/contact-us/
or Call us @ +91 9052 29 2929, +91 9052 99 2929, +91 9154 24 2140
OUR BRANCHES:
Head Office: H No: 1-10-225A, Beside AEVA Fertility Center, Ashok Nagar Extension, VV Giri Nagar, Ashok Nagar, Hyderabad, 500020
Madhapur: Flat no: 301, survey no 58-60, Guttala begumpet Madhapur metro pillar: 1524, Rangareddy Hyderabad, Telangana 500081
Bangalore: Plot No: 99, 2nd floor, 80 Feet Road, Beside Poorvika Mobiles, Chandra Layout, Attiguppe, Near Vijaya Nagara, Bengaluru, 560040
