{"id":330698,"date":"2025-03-24T17:35:18","date_gmt":"2025-03-24T12:05:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/?p=330698"},"modified":"2025-03-24T17:35:18","modified_gmt":"2025-03-24T12:05:18","slug":"world-tuberculosis-tb-day-2025-significance-challenges-explained-pointwise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/world-tuberculosis-tb-day-2025-significance-challenges-explained-pointwise\/","title":{"rendered":"World Tuberculosis (TB) Day 2025- Significance & Challenges- Explained Pointwise"},"content":{"rendered":"

World Tuberculosis (TB) Day is observed every year on March 24.<\/span> The primary objective of this day is to raise awareness about tuberculosis and to encourage efforts to eliminate this disease. This day commemorates Dr. Robert Koch\u2019s discovery of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacterium<\/span> in 1882, which causes TB.<\/p>\n

India started the “TB Free India Campaign<\/span>” in 2018 with the goal of eradicating tuberculosis by 2025. On March 24, almost seven years after taking the pledge, it is important to evaluate India’s progress in this battle as well as the obstacles that the country continues to face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
Table of Contents<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
What is Tuberculosis? What is the Current Status of Tuberculosis Burden In India?<\/a>
\nWhat is the need for Eliminating TB earlier in India?<\/a>
\nWhat are the challenges in Eliminating TB in India?<\/a>
\nWhat are the government\u2019s steps for Eliminating TB in India?<\/a>
\nWhat is the private sector involvement in Tuberculosis treatment?<\/a>
\nWhat Should be the way forward?<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

<\/a>What is Tuberculosis? What is the Current Status of Tuberculosis Burden In India?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Tuberculosis-<\/strong> Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious airborne bacterial disease<\/span> caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis<\/span>. It most commonly affects the lungs but can also damage other parts of the body.<\/p>\n

Current Status of TB Burden In India<\/strong><\/p>\n

a. India has notified a record 25.5 lakh TB patients in 2023<\/span>.( More than 8.4 lakh patients were notified by the private healthcare sector). This is a 21-fold increase from 2013 notified level.
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

b. According to WHO\u2019s Global TB report 2021, with 25.9 lakh TB cases<\/span>, India is home to 25% of the global tuberculosis cases<\/span>.<\/p>\n

\"Tuberculosis
Source- The Print<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

<\/a>What is the need for Eliminating TB earlier in India?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Eliminating TB earlier in India is crucial for a number of reasons which are mentioned below-<\/p>\n

1. Health-<\/strong> TB is a major cause of illness and death in India<\/span>, and eliminating the disease would significantly improve the health and well-being of the population.<\/p>\n

2. Economic impact-<\/strong> TB has a significant economic impact, as it leads to loss of income and productivity<\/span> for individuals and families. Eliminating tuberculosis would reduce this impact and help to boost the economy.<\/p>\n

3. Poverty reduction-<\/strong> TB disproportionately affects people living in poverty<\/span>, and eliminating the disease would help to reduce poverty and promote economic development.<\/p>\n

4. Global health-<\/strong> TB is a global health concern<\/span>, and eliminating the disease in India would contribute to the global effort to control and eventually eliminate TB.<\/p>\n

5. Achievement of Sustainable Development Goals-<\/strong> Elimination of Tuberculosis is an important target under the United Nations\u2019 Sustainable Development Goals<\/span> (SDGs) and its elimination in India<\/span> would contribute to overall progress towards the SDGs.<\/p>\n

6. Social justice-<\/strong> Eliminating TB would help to promote social justice by reducing the burden of the disease on vulnerable and marginalized populations<\/span>, such as those living in poverty or with limited access to healthcare.<\/p>\n

<\/a>What are the challenges in Eliminating TB in India?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

1. High burden of TB cases-<\/strong> According to the Global TB Report 2022, India accounts for 28% of all TB cases in the world<\/span>. This makes it difficult to identify and treat all cases in a timely manner.<\/p>\n

2. Drug-resistant TB-<\/strong> India has a high burden of drug-resistant TB<\/span>, which is more difficult and costly to treat than regular TB. Inadequate use of antibiotics<\/span> and poor adherence to treatment regimens<\/span> have contributed to the emergence of drug-resistant strains.<\/p>\n

3. Limited access to healthcare-<\/strong> Many people, particularly in rural areas, lack the access to quality healthcare facilities or cannot afford to seek medical care<\/span>. This result in delays in diagnosis and treatment<\/span>, and may also lead to the spread of TB.<\/p>\n

4. Stigma and discrimination-<\/strong> The stigmatisation of Tuberculosis has led to reluctance among the population to disclose their illness or seek treatment<\/span> due to fear of discrimination or social isolation.<\/p>\n

5. Poor living conditions-<\/strong> Overcrowded living conditions<\/span>, poor sanitation<\/span>, and lack of access to clean water<\/span> can increase the risk of TB transmission.<\/p>\n

6. Limited awareness-<\/strong> Many people in India are not aware of the signs and symptoms of TB<\/span> or the importance of completing the full course of treatment. This leads to delays in diagnosis and treatment<\/span> and contribute to the spread of TB.<\/p>\n

7. Insufficient funding-<\/strong> Despite being a major health problem in India, TB receives insufficient funding and attention<\/span> from policymakers and healthcare providers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read More- TB in India: A fight to the end<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

<\/a>What are the government\u2019s steps for Eliminating TB in India?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP)<\/strong>
\n<\/strong><\/td>\n		1.<\/strong> It aims to make India TB-free by 2025<\/span>, ahead of the global 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. As part of the programme, all TB patients are monitored through the Ni-kshay portal<\/span> throughout their treatment.
\n2.<\/strong> Launched in 2022, the PM TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, a key initiative under NTEP, promotes community participation, advanced diagnostics, improved treatments, and innovation to accelerate TB elimination.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Introduction of CB-NAAT and TureNat for TB detection<\/strong><\/td>\nThe government has increased access to more accurate molecular diagnostic tests like CB-NAAT<\/span> and TureNat<\/span>. The government has implemented a universal drug susceptibility test<\/span>, which use the antibiotic susceptibility of the mycobacterium is determined for all newly diagnosed cases.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Improvements in treatment protocols<\/strong><\/td>\nInjectable kanamycin for TB elimination, which caused kidney failure and deafness, has been replaced by Bedaquiline and Delamanid<\/span>. These new pharmaceuticals have also been included in the new National List of Essential Medicines<\/span>, giving the government the authority to control their market pricing.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Community engagement programme<\/strong><\/td>\nThe government launched the community engagement programme where Nikshay mitras<\/span> can adopt TB patients and provide them monthly nutritional support.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Engaging with private healthcare providers<\/strong><\/td>\nThe government has engaged with private healthcare providers to improve the quality of TB care<\/span> and ensure that TB patients receive appropriate treatment.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

<\/a>What is the private sector involvement in Tuberculosis treatment?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Public Private Interface Agency (PPIA)-<\/strong> The Public Private Interface Agency<\/span> (PPIA<\/span>) is the most effective form of intervention for elimination of TB. The agency functions as an intermediary<\/span> between the national TB programme and private healthcare providers.<\/p>\n

Patient Provider Support Agency (PPSA)-<\/strong> This\u00a0has created a network of private health sector providers, including medical practitioners, retail chemists, laboratories, and corporate hospitals<\/span> to ensure that diagnostic and treatment practices adhere to the ‘Standards of TB Care<\/span>‘ in India.<\/p>\n

<\/a>What Should be the way forward?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

1. Engaging better with private chemists-<\/strong> Retail chemists who are the first point of contact for patients in India<\/span> who must be trained for regular monitoring of the H1 schedule and prohibiting over-the-counter sale of antibiotics.<\/p>\n

2. Leveraging the contact of medical practitioners-<\/strong> The network of rural medical practitioners and village doctors have a high trust compact with the community<\/span>, must be leveraged for TB detection and elimination.<\/p>\n

3. Implementation of a comprehensive TB control program-<\/strong> The Indian government should develop and implement a comprehensive TB control program that includes early diagnosis, effective treatment, and follow-up care<\/span>.<\/p>\n

4. Investment in research and development-<\/strong> Investment in research and development can help to identify new diagnostic tools<\/span> and more effective treatments for TB. For ex- The recent development of artificial intelligence software for detecting hot spots in the lungs from digital chest X-rays<\/span> is a promising tool for mass active case finding of TB in the community.<\/p>\n

5. Increase in govt funding-<\/strong> TB prevention and treatment should be a priority for the government and policymakers<\/span>, and funding should be increased to support research, prevention programs, and treatment efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read More<\/strong>– Business Standard<\/a>
\nUPSC Syllabus- GS 2: Social Justice<\/strong> \u2013 Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector\/Services relating to Health<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

World Tuberculosis (TB) Day is observed every year on March 24. The primary objective of this day is to raise awareness about tuberculosis and to encourage efforts to eliminate this disease. This day commemorates Dr. Robert Koch\u2019s discovery of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacterium in 1882, which causes TB. India started the “TB Free India Campaign”… Continue reading World Tuberculosis (TB) Day 2025- Significance & Challenges- Explained Pointwise<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10367,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[130],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-330698","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-7-pm","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","views":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/330698","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10367"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=330698"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/330698\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=330698"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=330698"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=330698"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}