Health Ministry Approves New Treatment for Multidrug-Resistant TB

Source- This post on Health Ministry Approves New Treatment for Multidrug-Resistant TB has been created based on the article “Health Ministry approves new treatment regimen for multidrug-resistant TB” published in “The Hindu” on 7th September 2024.

Why in News?

The Union Health Ministry has introduced a new drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) treatment regimen in India.

About BPaLM regimen

1. It is a new treatment regimen for drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB). This new regimen consists of four drugs: Bedaquiline, Pretomanid, Linezolid, and Moxifloxacin.

2. The BPaLM regimen has been proven to be a safer, quicker, and more effective treatment option compared to the older procedures used for treating multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB).

3. This regimen significantly reduces treatment time while maintaining a high success rate.

4. It has shorter treatment duration. Traditional treatments for MDR-TB could last up to 20 months and often caused severe side effects. The new BPaLM regimen allows for the treatment of drug-resistant TB to be completed in just six months.

5. This will help to reduce both treatment time and overall healthcare costs. Approximately 75,000 patients in India with drug-resistant TB will benefit from this treatment regimen.

6. This will also help India to attain the target to eliminate tuberculosis by 2025, five years ahead of the global target set under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

7. India has the world’s largest TB laboratory network, with 7,767 rapid molecular testing facilities and 87 culture and drug susceptibility testing laboratories. These facilities will support the successful implementation of the BPaLM regimen under the National TB Elimination Programme.

What is Drug-resistant TB?

1. Multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is a type of TB caused by bacteria resistant to at least two key first-line TB drugs.

2. MDR-TB can be transmitted directly from an infected person to others, as the resistant strains are already present in the population.

3. Since MDR-TB is airborne, those with active pulmonary TB can spread the disease if they are coughing.

4. Treating MDR-TB requires second-line drugs, typically involving four or more medications for at least 6 months, and up to 18–24 months if rifampin resistance is found.

Read more: Drug-resistant TB higher among children than expected: report: 

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