Mumbai battles tuberculosis: 50,000 cases reported in 3 years
What's the story
Mumbai is still giving the government headaches when it comes to its rising tuberculosis cases. Over 50,000 new cases of TB - drug-sensitive and multidrug-resistant combined - were reported from 2015 to 2017, according to public health department of the civic body. Early this month, the state government said that 20, 213 people have died of tuberculosis in the state, since the past 3 years.
Details
TB treatment improves, but number of unreported-cases remains a challenge
Though the healthcare initiatives towards curing TB have improved, the main challenge is finding the cases that are not documented by the government, that can be a million, reads a 2016 study of Lancet. Given this, Narendra Modi's vow to eliminate TB by 2025 "shows political will, but realistically, it is impossible, because TB's latent cases surface at least two-three years, or even later."
Healthcare improves
TB results come same day evening, thanks to more GeneXpert
Notably, GeneXpert machines that can tell if someone is resistant to anti-TB drug - Rifampicin - is pivotal for correctly treating TB patients. In one year, 22 such machines have been added to city's TB care program and now the sputum results come same day. A total of 170 city patients are on Bedaquiline, the miracle drug known to improve multi-drug resistant TB treatment outcomes.
Information
Know more about the miracle TB drug: Bedaquiline
Bedaquiline, on WHO's 'List of Essential Medicines', was introduced in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Guwahati and Ahmedabad in 2016. It is also the first TB drug to be approved by the US FDA in 40 years. It was developed by Indian government and Johnson & Johnson.