Professional bodies join hands to eliminate TB

Hyderabad: Every year on March 24, we mark the occasion World Tuberculosis (TB) Day to raise awareness about the devastating health, social, and economic consequences of TB. The date commemorates the day in 1882 when Dr Robert Koch announced the discovery of the TBcausing bacterium, Mycobacterium Tuberculosis.

TB continues to remain one of the world's leading causes of death and India has the highest number of TB cases, including drug-resistant TB. India has an estimated 26.9 lakh TB cases with around 24 lakh casesreported in 2019. The majority of TB patients (50-70%) seek treatment in the private health sector. As a result, the National Tuberculosis Elimination Program (NTEP)and the country adopted National Strategic Plan (NSP) 2017-25, which included private sector engagement as one of the major strategies to achieve TB elimination in the country by 2025, five years ahead of the Global target of 2030.

The theme of 'The Clock is Ticking' is significant this year, implying that the world is racing against the clock to act on global leaders' commitments to eliminate tuberculosis. This is especially important in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has jeopardized End TB progress, as well as to ensure equitable access to prevention and care in line with WHO's drive to achieve Universal Health Coverage.

According to Dr Rama Rao, Joint Director TB, Andhra Pradesh, "TB affects every part of the body and so all specialities of doctors treat TB. To achieve the TB elimination in our state, the engagement of all 18000+ private practitioners for TB identification and notification, and timely treatment is the key. The Professional Medical Associations (PMAs) at the state and district levels are the major stakeholders in the private sector through its members. The collaborative efforts by the state government, PMAs, technical partners and civil society organizations would accelerate the country's achievement on TB goals."

As part of the World TB Day activities in March each year, on March 9, SAATHII, a public health NGO under the stewardship of Dr Karun Sandeep, State Technical Specialist in the Unitaid-EGPAF supported 'Catalyzing Pediatric TB Innovations (CaP-TB)' project, has organised a joint virtual meeting on the Roadmap of PMA partnerships with NTEP, working together in achieving of TB Free India.

The state PMA office bearers of IMA (Indian Medical Association), APSA (Association of Pulmonologists of Seemandhra), IAP (Indian Academy of Pediatrics), and IAPM (Indian Association of Pathologists and Microbiologists), and the state NTEP program and other TB technical partner agencies, JEET, TB Alert, and World Vision, have joined and pledged their stronger commitment towards the country TB elimination efforts.

Dr Babu Rao, the state APSA president, expressed concern to increase the practitioners' efforts in early TB detection, whether drug sensitive or resistantthrough universal drug susceptibility testing (UDST) using CBNAAT, which is provided free of charge in NTEP programme, and to ensure that patients receive the appropriate line of therapy.

Dr.ijay Bhaskar, state IAPM president, urged all pathologist and microbiologist association members to join the fight against the country's rising drug resistance TB. Every sample received in labs from practitioners that is suggestive of TB should be tested for UDST.

DrPS Sarma, National IMA End TB Initiative Standing Committee member,says "The Clock is ticking...Yes,We need to Act. WHO has given a call to involve Youth in the End TB initiative. I have visited 7 medical colleges in the state Andhra Pradesh and motivated Postgraduates& Interns. As on date I have a WhatsApp group of 52 young doctors who are ready to serve. I appreciate the work done by SAATHII in this direction. We all hereby need to rededicate ourselves for the cause of Elimination of TB by 2025."