The Union government has embarked on a drive to detect TB among people living with HIV. The strategy will also aim at providing appropriate treatment in 30 select high burden anti-retroviral therapy (ART) centres in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra.

On the occasion of the World TB Day observed annually on March 24, the government will provide information communication technology based treatment adherence support to patients besides isoniazid preventive therapy to People Living with HIV-AIDS (PLHA), but without TB and complete air borne infection control risk assessment in all 30 ART centres.

The move is a huge step forward because TB is the biggest Public Health Challenge, stated A Dalbir Singh, president, National Forum on TB.

“In order to combat TB, we need to develop strategy, innovate and discover indigenous solutions, that could productively engage the private sector, sensitize policymakers, build partnerships to ensure an effective synergy amongst diverse stakeholders”, he added.

Currently, 2.3 million people in India get infected with TB annually and is reported to be the highest globally. The disease accounts for 1.5 million fatal cases globally every year.

According to the Karnataka State Tuberculosis Association (KSTBA), the state has reported a 24 per lakh TB population in 2014 as against 44 per lakh in 1990. The co-infection fatality decreased from 25 per cent to around 11 per cent in the 2009 to 2014. Now the focus is on prevention, control, treatment and relief of tuberculosis.

Dr Sashidar Buggi, director, SDS Tuberculosis & Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases, said that lack of  hygiene was a key concern to combat TB.

Since the inception of the Revised National TB Control Programme (RNTCP), around 19 million patients are on treatment, of which around 3.4 million cases are saved. The challenges of drug resistant TB, if associated with HIV among other co-morbidities is being addressed appropriately.

This year the government has extended its Universal Access theme to quality TB diagnosis and treatment with assured drugs made available free of cost to all patients.

Under the Union government’s ‘TB Harega, Desh Jeetega’ campaign, which features noted film actor Amitabh Bachchan is being disseminated nationally to raise awareness on the dreaded diseases. With initiatives like the Swachh Bharat, the government is hoping to achieve a TB-free India, said Dr Buggi.

Further, the government’s common technical dossier on TB India 2015 outlines developments and latest statistics from the RNTCP, which provides care to notified patients across India through 4 lakh directly observed treatment short-course (DOTS) centres. A user-friendly portal providing detailed information on TB prevention and control, followed by the launch of a special issue on TB of the Global Policy Journal is a booster shot to handle the magnitude of TB challenge, said Dr Jagdish Prasad, director general of health services ministry of health & family welfare.