Lancet Commission flags concern over surge in tuberculosis deaths

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A new Lancet Commission on TB reveals concerns about the global fight against tuberculosis, as TB deaths have increased for the first time in 20 years.

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• The report highlights that the decline in TB mortality rates has slowed down, with two-thirds of TB deaths occurring in eight countries, including India (33%), Indonesia (10%), and Nigeria (8%).
• The report follows up on the 2019 Lancet Commission on tuberculosis but states that the targets set by the UN High-Level Meeting in 2018 have not been met. 

Major Highlights of report:

• India reported 5.04 lakh (504,000) TB deaths in 2021, compared to 5.52 lakh (552,000) in 2010, with a peak of 4.62 lakh (462,000) deaths in 2017. 
• Impact of Covid-19: TB deaths increased from 1.4 million in 2019 to 1.6 million in 2021 due to the impact of COVID-19.
• According to Dr. Soumya Swaminathan (Co-author of the Report) insufficient case finding and diagnosis are significant challenges in ending TB. (approx. one-third of people with TB were undiagnosed and untreated in 2022).

Major Recommendation Of Commission: 

• The report calls for the adoption of new tools to revolutionize TB prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.
• Expanding access to molecular diagnostics and AI-assisted chest x-ray technology, as well as promoting newer, shorter 1/4/6 treatment regimens.
• These regimens offer one-month, once-weekly, and six-month treatment options for TB, including drug-resistant TB.
• Nutritional support: Research in India shows that better nutrition reduced infection rates by nearly 50% and lowered mortality by nearly 60%.

Way Forward: We need human-friendly, stigma-free, need-based psychosocial interventions along with clinical interventions as TB is not just a medical but a social disease as well.

Source: The Indian Express