IMA calls for more action on TB

Hyderabad: There are 1.3 lakh cases of multidrug resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB) in India and only 79,000 of them have been notified by the Tuberculosis India report.

The incidence of MDR TB is a major concern and the Indian Medical Association (IMA) noted that the cases are neither traced nor treated well. This can lead to a public health emergency. Over 1 lakh cases of tuberculosis are missed every year in India. MDR TB is compounding the scenario.

Dr K K Aggarwal, president of IMA, said, “Despite advances in treatment, TB is not under control. India ranks fourth in the global burden disease report which calls for improvement in screening and notifying.”

Dr Aggarwal has stated that once a patient is screened for TB, it is important to examine the contacts at home and workplace to identify the individual risk. IMA is asking all its doctors to notify the disease to the local authorities. 

Dr Suneetha Narreddy, consultant infectious diseases at Apollo Hospitals, said, “With over 2.5 million cases every year, it is becoming important to identify the disease, track patients and also ensure complete recovery. This is a huge task as more than 50 per cent of the patients are seeking treatment in the private sector.” 

The National TB Control Programme is opting for fixed dose combinations, weekly thrice, to prevent relapses. Bedaquiline, a new anti-TB drug, has been added in six identified tertiary care centres in India to control MDR TB.