Chief Minister N. Rangasamy on Wednesday released a TB Elimination Document and launched a preventive treatment drive to achieve the goal of eliminating the disease by 2025.
The Puducherry arm of the National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP) has formulated strategies in line with the National Strategic Plan 2017-25, prepared by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, to realise the mission objective ahead of the global goal of eliminating TB by 2030.
The TB elimination strategies, formulated with the help of various stakeholders and approved by the Central TB Division, Government of India, include measures such as surveillance of close contacts of infectious cases and screening for co-morbidities, including HIV, and their management.
The document also envisages cross-border collaboration with Tamil Nadu as there is a high influx of patients from outside Puducherry, and addressing major TB vulnerabilities, including tobacco, malnutrition and indoor air pollution.
India has highest burden
According to a press note, India has the highest burden of TB infection (TBI) globally, with 5%-10% of those infected developing active TB disease over the course of their lives, usually within the first two years after initial infection.
The appropriate use of TB Preventive Treatment (TPT) will play a crucial role in efforts to eliminate tuberculosis in India. The close contacts of infectious cases will be brought under TPT to avoid the spread of the disease to the close contacts of TB patients, the press note said.
