What is Tuberculosis? Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that usually affects the lungs, caused by the bacillus Mycobacterium tuberculosis (active TB bacteria) and caused serious illness. It is possible to get TB disease shortly after the bacteria enter the body if body defenses are weak. It is also possible, even after many years,for inactive TB bacteria to become active when body defenses are weakened. This may be due to aging,a serious illness, drug or alcohol abuse, or HIV infection(the virus that caused AIDS).When defenses are weakened and inactive TB bacteria become active,the bacteria can then break out of the walls, begin multiplying and damage the lungs or other organs.If people with TB disease do not take the drugs, they can become seriously ill,and may even die. But people with TB can be cured, if they have proper medical treatment and take their medication as prescribed.
Signs and symptoms of TB.
• Persistent cough since two weeks
• Pain in the chest.
• Coughing up blood with sputum
• Weakness or fatigue
• Weight loss
• Loss of appetite
• Fever and sweating at night. World TB Day is observed globally on 24 March every year. The day presents an opportunity to mobilize political and social commitment for the fight against tuberculosis (TB), one of the world’s top infectious disease killers. The Revised National TB Control Programme (RNTCP) has treated over 15 million patients and saved an additional three million lives. The cure rates under RNTCP have consistently been above 85% and the TB Millennium Development Goals with respect to prevalence and mortality have been achieved. However, India continues to account for 23% of the global TB burden, as per the World TB Report 2015. Each year, about 2.2 million people develop TB in India and an estimated 220,000 people die from the disease.Clearly, we all need to do more.
Policymakers, Administrators, RNTCP programme managers/staff and health workers across the country have shown a high degree of dedication and commitment in working towards making India TB free. It is important to highlight the threat posed by TB and MDR-TB and understand the fact that there is an urgent need to involve everyone in the fight against TB. This World TB Day, people from a wide cross section of the society along with TB programme managers and frontline health care providers will make a call to ensure that everyone suffering from TB has access to adequate TB care, including diagnosis, treatment and cure. We need to renew our commitment to reach each TB patient in the community through sustained efforts and out of the box thinking for active case finding and innovative ways of delivering services with active interventions for people affected by TB in the most vulnerable groups. Efforts must also be made to broaden the spectrum of supporters by engaging with partners in tobacco, nutrition, diabetes and others as well as non-medical partners to include social development, urban planning and the private sector.
Dr.K.T Lotha, State TB Officer (RNTCP), Directorate of Health &Family Welfare Nagaland: Kohima
