India has committed to end tuberculosis by 2025. The National Strategic Plan 2017-25 for ending TB by 2025 was developed in 2017 and included various interventions through multi-stakeholder engagement to reduce the burden of TB. These interventions are being implemented from 2017 onwards and the impact of these would be evident in the subsequent years.
Globally, the average rate of decline in the TB incidence rate was 1.8% between 2016 and 2017. In India, rate of decline in TB incidence rate was 3.3% between 2016 and 2017 as compared to 2.3% between 2015 and 2016. TB incidence further reduced by 2.5% between 2017 and 2018.
There are various types of TB tests. When a skin test is positive, it is not always a cause of worry, as the person might only have infection and not have the disease. When a sputum microscopy or molecular test is positive, a diagnosis of TB is confirmed and although a cause for concern, the patient should be promptly started on Anti-TB treatment.
It is true that Government is focusing on identifying additional cases among family contacts of people whose sputum samples have tested positive and preventive treatment is offered to those eligible below 6 years of age. In the year 2018, 83109 children <6 years of age were initiated on TB preventive therapy.
The Minister of State (Health and Family Welfare), Sh Ashwini Kumar Choubey stated this in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha here today.
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