Context:

• Recently, the United States Ambassador to India expressed that the United States and India both share a common goal of working together to eliminate TB  by 2025.
• India has set the target to “eliminate TB by 2025”. To fulfil this goal, the Health Ministry rolled out the National Strategic Plan (NSP) 2017-2025 .

National Strategic Plan (NSP) 2017-2025: To Eliminate TB by 2025

• The plan sets the target of India reporting no more than 44 new TB cases or 65 total cases per lakh population by 2025. 
  • The estimated TB incidence for the year 2021 stood at 210 per lakh population.
• The programme also aims to reduce the mortality to 3 deaths per lakh population by 2025. 
  • The estimated TB mortality for the year 2020 stood at 37 per lakh population.

What is tuberculosis?

• Tuberculosis (TB) is a bacterial infection caused by a bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis spread through inhaling tiny droplets from the coughs or sneezes of an infected person.
• TB mainly affects the lungs. However, it can affect any part of the body, including the glands, bones and nervous system.
• Mantoux test is carried to test TB.

Treatment for TB

• It can be cured with a course of antibiotics usually for six months.
• Currently, BCG vaccinations are providing for the treatment of TB.

Latent TB vs Active TB

• Latent occurs if people have TB bacteria within their body, but it is inactive. Latent TB does not cause symptoms and cannot pass on to other people. 
• However, latent TB can become active TB if the immune system weakens. Active TB causes symptoms and is contagious.

News Source:  Economic Times

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