24th January 2025 (12 Topics)
1
Jan
2
Jan
3
Jan
4
Jan
6
Jan
7
Jan
8
Jan
9
Jan
10
Jan
11
Jan
13
Jan
14
Jan
15
Jan
16
Jan
17
Jan
18
Jan
20
Jan
21
Jan
22
Jan
23
Jan
24
Jan
India’s winding road to ‘#EndTB’
You must be logged in to get greater insights. click here to login
Context
India remains at the forefront of the global tuberculosis (TB) burden, with significant challenges in managing the disease, especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite India's ambitious goals to eliminate TB by 2025, the country continues to grapple with issues like drug-resistant TB (DR-TB), inadequate healthcare infrastructure, and gaps in the implementation of the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP).
Challenges in TB Management
- Vulnerable Groups at High Risk: High-risk groups, including those working in mines and stone carving, migrants, and people with underlying conditions like diabetes, are at an increased risk of contracting TB. Lack of access to healthcare further exacerbates their situation.
- Treatment Supply Chain Issues: Despite a well-established drug supply system, a nationwide disruption in 2023 has led to shortages of essential TB drugs, affecting treatment adherence and increasing the risk of drug resistance.
- Extrapulmonary TB: Extrapulmonary TB (EP-TB), which affects organs other than the lungs, often goes undiagnosed due to vague symptoms, delayed diagnosis, and reliance on expensive tests, leading to advanced disease progression.
Implementation Challenges and Solutions
- Need for Trained Healthcare Providers: There is a significant shortage of trained healthcare workers in both government and private sectors, hindering the timely diagnosis and treatment of TB. Improvements in training and sensitization of frontline workers are essential.
- Technological Gaps in Diagnosis: While molecular diagnostic tests like CBNAAT and Truenat are available, logistical issues such as the absence of trained lab technicians and shortages of test cartridges delay results, impacting timely treatment initiation.
- Community Participation and Local Solutions: Successful interventions, like Kerala's collaboration with Kudumbashree, highlight the importance of community involvement and political leadership in driving TB elimination efforts. This approach can be adopted across different regions for effective TB control.
Practice Question
Q. Evaluate the effectiveness of India’s National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP) in addressing the challenges of TB management. Suggest measures to improve the implementation of the programme and achieve the target of TB elimination by 2025.
Courses
Study
Notes
Home
Resources
More
