How India is poised to eradicate TB with effective, accessible and affordable Diagnostic tools – ETHealthWorld

by Dr. Paras Singh

How is the Indian government fairing on the TB front? Tuberculosis is a critical health issue in our country. The WHO stated that India has the maximum number of TB cases in the world. A quarter of the global TB cases reside in India. As per the global TB report 2020 2,640,000 TB incidents were recorded within India, making us have the highest numbers of both TB and MDR TB.

In 2020, the Indian government stated that they aim to eliminate the disease by 2025 with the help of its National TB Elimination Program. This programs interventions are majorly around investments in healthcare and a tie-up of the government and the private medical infrastructure.

However only 10% of the people are having DRTB and all these prior efforts have yielded inadequate declines, and will not accelerate the progress towards ending TB. New, innovative diagnostic tools and smarter interventions can accelerate progress towards TB elimination. The lack of proper, affordable and accessible diagnostic tools has led people to settle for delayed or sub-optimal treatments while missing to cover a large number of patients.

Diagnostic molecular technology approved by WHO can play an effective moving towards TB elimination that has been integrated into the four strategic pillars of GOI mandate Detect Treat Prevent Build (DTPB).

Moreover, TB co-morbidities like Diabetes, HIV and tobacco-related problems have also been prioritised, and as close to 1 lakh patients with TB/HIV were put on a daily DOT routine around 5 lakh people were treated with preventive TB therapy. These interventions and strategies helped in lowering down TB fatalities by 82%.

DBT or Direct Benefit Transfer is a major reformation by the government, necessitating benefits targeted provisions of benefits to the patients through efficient technology usage. NIKSHAY, an online web-based and case-based application have been useful to give targeted deliveries to the citizens. The app makes the TB patients digitized database available and accessible nationally.

This app is further equipped to store bank details and other necessary information for DBT execution. The database is supported with PFMS also known as, Public Finance Management System for smoother benefits transfer into the beneficiaries accounts.

Many novel and innovative tools have been introduced by the collaborative effort of the government and the medical infrastructure. Wider usage of ICT tools and application health financing methodologies assures a rapid and accurate response while treating TB as an epidemic.

Another aspect that needs to be highlighted is the tie-up of the public and the private medical sector. RNTCP has ensured that the private laboratories provide an affordable service delivery under the revised NGO-PP schemes. This approach has brought together all the diagnostic tools LPA, CBNAAT, liquid culture DST under the single initiative called Promoting Affordable and Quality TB Tests. Also, the ICT-supported tools have helped in getting universal access to TB care. Getting notification from the private sector to the public sector. Response of public healthcare sector to all the people suffering from TB notified via private sector will come under the responsibility of public healthcare system. Patients support services like, adherence, comorbidity detection, drug susceptibility testing, infection prevention and social welfare support would be extended to the private healthcare facilities as well.

Periodic monitoring and upscaling high sensitivity diagnostic tests and algorithms. Improving the private service providers engagement will increase the affordability and accessibility of the diagnostic tools. Monitoring and supervision are non-negotiable in ensuring the achievement of the vision of TB Free India by 2025.

Dr. Paras Singh, Head & Specialist, Dept. of Molecular Medicine, National Institute of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases, New Delhi

(DISCLAIMER: The views expressed are solely of the author and ETHealthworld does not necessarily subscribe to it. ETHealthworld.com shall not be responsible for any damage caused to any person / organisation directly or indirectly.)

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How India is poised to eradicate TB with effective, accessible and affordable Diagnostic tools - ETHealthWorld