TB Cases Rise In Odisha Amid Goal To Eradicate Disease By 2025

Bhubaneswar: As the World Tuberculosis (TB) day is being observed on Friday, eradicating the disease by 2025 seems unrealistic in Odisha in view of increasing number of cases in recent years.

Even though the government has set the goal of eradicating TB in the country by 2025, five years ahead of the global target of 2030, it appears to be an uphill task before Odisha which recorded 32 per cent rise in tuberculosis cases in last two years.

The number of cases showed an increasing trend for the last couple of years in the state after the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry made the notification mandatory for all hospitals testing samples.The number of cases in the state rose from 45,699 in 2020 to 60,439 in 2022. While 52,514 cases were detected in 2021, as many as 53,368 and 48,490 cases were reported in 2019 and 2018 respectively, sources said.

It may be noted that Odisha is now ranked second in the country in terms of TB notification. While Himachal Pradesh tops the list, Odisha is followed by Andhra Pradesh. The notification of cases had gone down by nearly 41 per cent between 2019 and 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to statistics, districts notifying 100 per cent of cases include Ganjam, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj and Kandhamal. The notification rate is below 100 per cent in high-prevalence districts like Balasore (72 per cent) and Jajpur (85 per cent).

The death rate has come down from 5.4 per cent in 2018 to 4.4 per cent in 2022 due to the high success rate in treatment. As many as 2,626 people had died of TB in 2018, 3,000 in 2019, 2,818 in 2020, 3,270 in 2021 and 2,688 in 2022.

Health experts, however, claimed the rise in cases is actually a good sign as the country plans to enter the elimination phase in the next couple of years.

Official sources said Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada and Bargarh districts have already qualified for a bronze certificate in TB elimination activity and 13 more are competing for sub-national certification this year.

The state government has planned to extend molecular diagnostic facilities to all blocks for quick and accurate diagnosis of TB cases in addition to sputum microscopy and X-ray.

Public Health Director Niranjan Mishra said setting up of TB diagnostic centres and strengthening of TB activities are in progress in 565 model PHC health wellness centres in the state. In addition to incentives to health workers for the detection of cases, TB preventive treatment has also been rolled out.

Sources said 190 modular diagnostic machines have  already been set up across the State so far. Emphasis is being given for the detection, treatment and spreading awareness about the disease. Testing facilities and distribution of medicines are provided to the patients free of cost in the State.

The state is providing treatment for TB in four phases. In the first phase, the disease is being detected and in the second phase treatment to the patients is provided. TV prevention and mass awareness about the prevention of the disease is given emphasis in the next two phases