World Tuberculosis Day 2019

World Tuberculosis Day is celebrated each year on March 24 to increase efforts to end the global tuberculosis epidemic and to raise public awareness about the health, social and economic consequences of tuberculosis (TB). Dr. Robert Koch in 1882 on this date announced the discovery of bacterium that causes TB.

The theme of World TB Day 2019- ‘IT’S TIME’

It’s time to:

scale up access to prevention and treatment;
build accountability;
ensure sufficient and sustainable financing including for research;
promote an end to stigma and discrimination, and
promote an equitable, rights-based and people-centered TB response.

This World TB Day, WHO calls on governments, affected communities, civil society organizations, health-care providers, and national/international partners to unite forces under the banner “Find. Treat. All. #EndTB” to ensure no one is left behind.

It’s time for action! It’s time to End TB.

Despite significant progress over the last decades, TB is one of the top 10 causes of death worldwide. TB caused an estimated 1.3 million deaths and 10.0 million people (range, 9.0–11.1 million) developed TB disease in 2017, Globally. According to global tuberculosis report 2018, India accounted 27% of world TB cases in 2017.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a communicable disease caused by bacteria (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) that most often affect the lungs but can also affect other sites (extrapulmonary TB). Tuberculosis is curable and preventable.

Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP)- RNTCP is a programme for prevention and control of TB in country by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. It has integrated four strategic pillars of “Detect – Treat – Prevent – Build” (DTPB) under National Strategic Plan 2017-2025 for moving towards TB elimination by 2025.

“Call to eliminate TB, by 2025 – 5 years in advance of the goals unanimously adopted by the UN General Assembly as part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”

Other new initiatives under RNTCP are:

Private Sector Engagement-Involvement of private sector health services providers in disease notification, detection and treatment of TB patients
Active Case Finding (ACF)- TB patients were diagnosed through 3 rounds of ACF in high risk population in 2017.
Daily Treatment Regimen-Fixed dose combination started to reduce pill burden
Universal Drug Susceptibility Test-Testing for drug resistance in all diagnosed patients for appropriate treatment
Introduction of Newer Drugs - Bedaquiline, and Delamanid introduction in 7 states/UTs
Nutritional support-To provide Rs 500 per month as nutritional support to all TB patients for the duration of TB treatment
Digital Initiatives NIKSHAY, 99 DOTS, NIKSHAY Aushadhi