2023 deadline to make state TB-free

SHIMLA: The Health Department has set 2023 deadline to make the state TB-free. Health experts face a daunting task as the number of Multiple Drug Resistant (MDR) TB cases are on the rise. At least eight districts of the state, barring Lahaul-Spiti, Kinnaur, Una and Chamba, fall under the ‘high TB burden category’.

Health Minister Kaul Singh Thakur speaks at the workshop organised by the State TB Cell in Shimla on Sunday. Tribune photo

Kuldeep Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, February 26

The Health Department has set 2023 deadline to make the state TB-free. Health experts face a daunting task as the number of Multiple Drug Resistant (MDR) TB cases are on the rise.

At least eight districts of the state, barring Lahaul-Spiti, Kinnaur, Una and Chamba, fall under the ‘high TB burden category’. Dr RK Baria, state TB officer, said more than 180 new TB patients were reported from each of these districts in a year. Around 15,000 new tuberculosis patients were reported every year for the last five years.

As many as 400 patients with MDR TB were reported in 2016. The mortality rate among TB patients remains at 4 per cent with 562 TB patients succumbing to the disease last year.

Dr Baria attributed the rise in TB cases to increased detection of the disease. He said diagnosing machines were installed in eight high risk TB districts, adding four other districts would be covered soon.

“We have involved the ASHA workers under the Revised National TB Control Programme in the state to make Himachal TB-free by 2023, Dr Baria said.

Health Minister Kaul Singh Thakur said nearly two lakh TB patients were treated successfully under the programme, adding the detection and treatment success rates were higher than the national level in the state.

He said, “We have 200 diagnostic microscopic centres while 15 more such centres will be opened to make Himachal TB-free by 2023.”

Hamirpur was the first district covered under the TB control programme in 1995 followed by Kangra and Mandi in 1998 and the entire state in January, 2002.

The Union Health Ministry launched daily regimen TB treatment in these states to make India TB-free by 2025. Under the programme three medicine doses are given a day for six months.

Dr Devesh Gupta, Additional Deputy Director General, TB Control Division, said 1,000 TB patients were put on daily regimen treatment programme, adding that 40 per cent of patients were being treated at private hospitals.

Apart from Himachal Pradesh, four other states — Kerala, Bihar, Sikkim and Maharashtra — fall under the high TB category.