24% Drug-Resistant TB Patients Die In UP, Claims Report
Lucknow, 5 Oct 2019:
At least one-fourth (24%) of drug-resistant tuberculosis patients die while about 16% quit treatment in the state, according to union health ministry’s TB India Report (2018).
Compared to national average, the number of patients losing track of follow ups is 19% while those dying during the course of treatment is 20%, the report reveals. The problems are greatly associated with difficulty in taking injections required in DR-TB treatment.
Finding a solution to the problem, health officials have adopted an all oral regimen for treatment of resistant TB. “This regimen has three medicines – bedaquiline, pretomanid and linezolid — collectively referred to as the BPaL regimen. According to global TB Alliance, overall treatment success rate is nearly 91%,” said state TB officer Dr Santosh Gupta on the sidelines of UP State Task Force on TB meeting being hosted by the Sanjay Gandhi Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS).
He added that the regimen would be made available to patients enrolled for treatment. “Many patients found injections in previous regime cumbersome. Oral drugs will provide a higher rate of compliance,” he said.
The meeting aimed at augmenting the role of medical colleges and institutions towards TB eradication. Indian government has pledged to eradicate TB by 2025 which is five years ahead of the deadline set up by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Chairman of UP STF on TB Dr Suryakant said, “There are 43 medical colleges in UP and most of drug-resistant cases are attended by them. Therefore, it is important to prepare them to accept the challenge”.
He said resident doctors in relevant departments would also be trained to ensure early screening of TB cases.
In another development, the state health department has decided to conduct TB prevalence survey to study overall prevalence of TB and its resistant versions. The exercise, which is a part of a national activity, will include over 83,000 subjects across 75 districts. ET Healthworld