India has major task of eliminating tuberculosis, 5 other diseases: VK Paul-OxBig News Network

India has a major task to eliminate not only tuberculosis but also leprosy, lymphatic filariasis, measles, rubella, kala azar, said VK Paul, a member of NITI Aayog.

Speaking at the India Innovation Summit: Pioneering Solutions to End TB, Paul said, “We have a challenge of reducing TB incidence by 80 per cent and reducing mortality by 90 per cent, with the baseline being 2050. India has made tremendous progress in terms of achievement and the scale of technology. We know that TB is a complex disease and it is difficult to detect in most cases. Drug-resistant TB is a major issue. So the pathways of detecting, confirming, and treating, ensuring that the treatment works, is a complex cascade that we are all working on. Technology can help us leapfrog in achieving our aims to eliminate the disease.”

He said India needs better tools to detect latent TB. Latent TB is a condition where someone is infected with the bacteria that causes it, but the bacteria are inactive and the person doesn’t have symptoms or spread the disease.

Paul also said that India will give a major push towards eliminating malaria as well.

Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel said that India’s public health landscape has seen a remarkable transformation over the past decade.

She remarked that the national TB elimination programme is stealthily progressing towards the goal of eliminating TB from India.

Citing the WHO report, Patel said, “The missing TB cases have reduced from 15 lakh in 2015 to 2.25 lakh in 2023. The programme has been able to notify 25.5 lakh TB cases in 2023 and 26.7 cases in 2024, which is the highest ever. The WHO TB report 2024 has also acknowledged that the incidence of TB rates in India has shown a 17.7 per cent decline from 237 per lakh population in 2015 to 195 per lakh population in 2023. The TB deaths have reduced by 21.4 per cent, and TB treatment coverage has increased by 32 per cent in the last 8 years, from 53 per cent in 2015 to 85 per cent in 2023.”

She credited the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for validating three indigenous handheld X-ray devices, which makes it possible to reach vulnerable population groups for TB screening.

“ICMR has partnered with the Institute of Plasma Research, Ahmedabad, to develop DeepCXR, a tool for artificial intelligence-based reporting chest X-ray films. AI tools are expected to be a gamechanger in detecting presumptive TB patients and quick initiation of treatment. ICMR validated CyTb skin test for detection of latent TB infection, developed by Serum Institute of India Ltd against Interferon gamma release assay (IGRA), which is the preferred test for latent TB detection.

Rajiv Bahl, Director General, ICMR, said that India has committed to eliminate TB, and ICMR strongly believes that research and innovation will play an important part in the effort towards eliminating the disease.