Table of Contents
TB and Covid
- Covid-19 and tuberculosis (TB) are remarkably similar. They are transmissible, airborne infections. Both are more likely to spread in crowded settings, and harm people with immuno-compromising conditions.
- In the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic, 1.8 million people were reported to have succumbed to the virus.
- Approximately 1.5 million people died from TB in 2020. In India, the TB case fatality ratio increased from 17 per cent in 2019 to 20 per cent in 2020.
Still Not a “Pandemic”
- In the decade between 2010-20, 1.5-2 million individuals died every year because of tuberculosis. Yet, we seldom see the word “pandemic” used in the context of TB.
- The amount of money spent by governments for research and development in the first 11 months of the Covid-19 pandemic was 162 times the corresponding amount spent on TB in 2020.
Covid impact on TB Patient
- TB disproportionately affects people in low-income nations, the poor and the vulnerable.
- The increased burden on healthcare to manage Covid has led to a serious setback in TB control.
- Before the Covid pandemic, it was assumed that a third of all individuals with TB were undiagnosed, and were likely spreading the disease in their communities.
- In the past two years, case detection has dropped, suggesting that the proportion of such “missing cases” is likely to have increased.
- According to a joint report (2010-13) of the Registrar General of India and the Centre for Global Health Research, TB was the fifth-leading cause of death among women in the country, accounting for nearly 5 per cent of fatalities in women aged 30–69.
- While both men and women suffer the consequences of this debilitating disease, women patients pay a much steeper socio-economic price.
Social stigma for Women
- From social ostracisation and lack of family support to the negative impact on marital prospects, women absorb the repercussions of TB beyond the clinical metrics.
- Stigma also acts as a strong deterrent when it comes to health-seeking behaviour. Fewer women, therefore, get included in the available cascade of care for TB.
Govt’s Efforts
- In 2019, the Health Ministry-Central TB Division developed a national framework for a gender-responsive approach to TB in India.
- The document takes cognisance of the challenges faced by women in accessing treatment and offers actionable solutions.
- In December 2021, a parliamentary conference on ‘Women Winning Against TB’ was organised by the Ministry of Women and Child Development where gender-responsive policy interventions were discussed.
Considerations for refining the implementation strategies on ground
- One, as elected representatives, we need to come together more to highlight the issue at all relevant forums and spaces.
- Two, we need to strengthen counselling networks for women patients and their families.
Factors responsible for TB
- Malnutrition, poverty and immuno-compromising conditions such as diabetes are some of the factors strongly associated with TB.
- Over a hundred million Indians smoke tobacco — a strong risk factor for both developing TB, and dying from it.
Suggestions
- India needs to triple the funding not just for TB but for health, nutrition and preventive services.
- The country needs to invest in state-of-the-art technologies, build capacity, expand its health workforce and strengthen its primary care facilities.
- It also needs to consider telemedicine and remote support as important aspects of health services.
- Most importantly, before embarking on any of this, it needs to build an open and collaborative forum where all stakeholders, especially affected communities and independent experts, take a lead role.
Way Forward
- Covid has been a stellar example of how investments and actions can be swift, and public education can transform behaviour.
- Similar aspirations for TB can help turn this crisis into an opportunity to re-imagine our overburdened and underfunded systems.
- We need to actively engage the private sector, build bridges and partnerships as we did in the case of Covid.
Question:
The first person who discovered Mycobacterium tuberculosis was
- (a) Louis Pasteur
- (b) Robert Koch
- (c) Edward Jenner
- (d) None of the above
Latest Burning Issues | Free PDF
WhatsApp