Dr. Kuldeep Singh Sachdeva emphasizes the ongoing concern of missing TB cases in India
New Delhi, March 23 (IANS) Missing cases of Tuberculosis (TB) coupled with diagnostic and treatment delays are hindering India’s goal to eradicate the infection by 2025, according to Dr. Kuldeep Singh Sachdeva, former head of India’s TB elimination programme at the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
In the latest global research published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal, it was revealed that TB incidence in India dropped only by 0.5 per cent between 2015 and 2020, with 213 cases per one lakh population in 2020 and with deaths ranging between 3.5-5 lakh.
Dr. Kuldeep emphasized the importance of finding missing TB cases to stop the transmission, stating that ending TB is impossible without diagnosing and treating all cases in the community. He recommended raising public awareness, health-seeking behavior, and utilizing sensitive tools like ultraportable X-rays for screening.
The public health expert also highlighted the delays between diagnosis and treatment, which contribute to the spread of the disease. He proposed the early use of rapid molecular diagnostic tests to interrupt the chain of transmission effectively.
India, with 2.8 million TB cases in 2022, accounted for the highest number of TB cases globally. While the country aims to eliminate TB by 2025, Dr. Kuldeep stressed the need for sustained efforts and initiatives to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals related to TB.
