Screening, diagnosis and treatment of people with tuberculosis is “sub-optimal” in Indian prisons, says a study published recently. Only 79 prisons (50%) screened new inmates at the time of entry, and 92 prisons (59%) carried out periodic or regular screening. As a result, researchers from the Delhi-based International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) … Continue reading TB diagnosis, treatment sub-optimal in Indian prisons
International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease
Why is TB bacteria not on WHO’s deadly superbug list?
Of the estimated 10.4 million new tuberculosis cases globally in 2015, nearly 0.5 million estimated cases were multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB cases. Another nearly one million were resistant to rifampicin drug alone. India accounted for 2.84 million new cases in 2015, of which 79,000 had MDR-TB. There were 1.4 million TB deaths worldwide in 2015. For … Continue reading Why is TB bacteria not on WHO’s deadly superbug list?
Can The Union think out of the box to hold the Lung Health conference in India?
"The Union World Conference on Lung Health is the largest annual meeting focusing on the issues as they relate to low- and middle-income countries and populations," says The Union website. Tuberculosis is one of the important topics covered during the conference held every year in different countries. This year's venue was Liverpool. But why Liverpool, … Continue reading Can The Union think out of the box to hold the Lung Health conference in India?
Will tax hike reduce tobacco consumption in India?
The Union Health Minister, Dr. Harsh Vardhan, recently said he “supports” higher taxes on cigarettes and other tobacco products. But even if he were to substantially increase the tax rates, will it make cigarettes and other tobacco products very expensive and hence reduce consumption? In the case of India, as per the current taxation practices, … Continue reading Will tax hike reduce tobacco consumption in India?
Paediatric TB: should Xpert molecular test replace smear microscopy?
Unlike adults, children under five years of age are particularly vulnerable to getting infected with TB and may develop the disease very soon after infection. This is all the more true in the case of those from households where an adult has been recently diagnosed with sputum smear positive active pulmonary TB. India’s Revised National … Continue reading Paediatric TB: should Xpert molecular test replace smear microscopy?
TB: how many young children are wrongly diagnosed as disease-free?
India’s Revised National TB Control Programme (RNTCP) estimates that children comprise about 12 per cent of the total TB caseload in the country. But in all probability, 12 per cent may be an underestimation of the actual contribution. A July 2011 study undertaken in Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh on 116 children below six years … Continue reading TB: how many young children are wrongly diagnosed as disease-free?
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