With support from local administration, Kangra Ni-kshay Kit (infection prevention kit) are given to the people with TB for disposal of sputum during the infectious phase of the treatment. This is intended to help reduce transmission in the homes and communities.
Every case of active TB disease comes from a pool of people with latent TB. People with latent TB do not have TB disease, are not infectious, and cannot spread the infection to others. But they may be at risk of progressing to active TB disease. TB preventive treatment protects people with latent TB from progressing to active TB disease. "Around 1500 people with latent TB have completed the full cascade of TB preventive treatment and care in Kangra with treatment success rate of 95%," said Dr Sood.
Chest X-ray is needed to complement TB screening
Shortage of X-ray machines is another limiting factor, as a chest X-ray is needed to rule out active TB disease and confirm that a person has latent TB and not the disease. "We need more portable or handheld point-of-care X-ray machines," shared Dr Sood.
Only 5% of those screened for TB symptoms could get a chest X-ray done in Himachal Pradesh. The national TB prevalence survey (2019-2021) shows that half of those diagnosed for TB did not have typical TB symptoms, but showed an abnormality in the chest X-ray, which led to their TB diagnosis.
Innovation
Himachal Pradesh has used innovative tools in some areas (and to a limited extent), such as handheld portable X-ray machines. In Una district these (along with molecular testing) were used to screen migrant workers.
Drones were also used for drug and sputum sample transportation in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh. Mandi has mountainous terrain and timely transportation of samples and medicines is often a challenge. According to the India TB Report 2023, 28 drone flights took place till 31 January 2023 between Mandi and different primary health centres up to 90km away. Sputum samples were transported by drones from primary health centres to Mandi for molecular testing and TB drugs were transported back. Usage of drones reduced the transportation time and operational costs to one fourth.
Himachal Pradesh gives hope
A year after India's National Health Policy 2017 was launched (aiming to end TB by 2025), Himachal Pradesh's Chief Minister had announced an ambitious programme to end TB by 2023.
In 2022 Himachal Pradesh had ranked first on the National TB Index, among Indian states with over 5 million population. In 2021, Himachal Pradesh was among the 5 Indian states that had successfully reduced TB rates by 20%.
Despite this commendable progress, formidable challenges confront the state to end TB. The next 28 months will tell us to what extent the state has kept the promise to eliminate TB by 2025.
Shobha Shukla, Bobby Ramakant - CNS (Citizen News Service)
(Shobha Shukla and Bobby Ramakant are part of the editorial team of CNS (Citizen News Service). Both of them are on the governing board of Asia Pacific Media Alliance for Health and Development (APCAT Media) and 2022-2023 Fellows of inaugural PRB Public Health Reporting Corps. Follow them on Twitter: @Shobha1Shukla, @BobbyRamakant).
- Shared under Creative Commons (CC)
Every case of active TB disease comes from a pool of people with latent TB. People with latent TB do not have TB disease, are not infectious, and cannot spread the infection to others. But they may be at risk of progressing to active TB disease. TB preventive treatment protects people with latent TB from progressing to active TB disease. "Around 1500 people with latent TB have completed the full cascade of TB preventive treatment and care in Kangra with treatment success rate of 95%," said Dr Sood.
Chest X-ray is needed to complement TB screening
Shortage of X-ray machines is another limiting factor, as a chest X-ray is needed to rule out active TB disease and confirm that a person has latent TB and not the disease. "We need more portable or handheld point-of-care X-ray machines," shared Dr Sood.
Only 5% of those screened for TB symptoms could get a chest X-ray done in Himachal Pradesh. The national TB prevalence survey (2019-2021) shows that half of those diagnosed for TB did not have typical TB symptoms, but showed an abnormality in the chest X-ray, which led to their TB diagnosis.
Himachal Pradesh has used innovative tools in some areas (and to a limited extent), such as handheld portable X-ray machines. In Una district these (along with molecular testing) were used to screen migrant workers.
Drones were also used for drug and sputum sample transportation in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh. Mandi has mountainous terrain and timely transportation of samples and medicines is often a challenge. According to the India TB Report 2023, 28 drone flights took place till 31 January 2023 between Mandi and different primary health centres up to 90km away. Sputum samples were transported by drones from primary health centres to Mandi for molecular testing and TB drugs were transported back. Usage of drones reduced the transportation time and operational costs to one fourth.
Himachal Pradesh gives hope
A year after India's National Health Policy 2017 was launched (aiming to end TB by 2025), Himachal Pradesh's Chief Minister had announced an ambitious programme to end TB by 2023.
In 2022 Himachal Pradesh had ranked first on the National TB Index, among Indian states with over 5 million population. In 2021, Himachal Pradesh was among the 5 Indian states that had successfully reduced TB rates by 20%.
Despite this commendable progress, formidable challenges confront the state to end TB. The next 28 months will tell us to what extent the state has kept the promise to eliminate TB by 2025.
Shobha Shukla, Bobby Ramakant - CNS (Citizen News Service)
(Shobha Shukla and Bobby Ramakant are part of the editorial team of CNS (Citizen News Service). Both of them are on the governing board of Asia Pacific Media Alliance for Health and Development (APCAT Media) and 2022-2023 Fellows of inaugural PRB Public Health Reporting Corps. Follow them on Twitter: @Shobha1Shukla, @BobbyRamakant).
- Shared under Creative Commons (CC)
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