World Tuberculosis Day which falls on March 24^th is observed each year with renewed vigor to continue the global fight against tuberculosis—an infectious airborne disease that is getting deadlier by the day due to its growing drug resistance and the fatal connection between TB and HIV. TB is preventable and curable if patients stick to drug regimens.

The WHO’s theme for World TB day 2009 continuing from last year’s “I am Stopping TB” is a clarion call for all people—those affected with TB and those who can help in any way in stopping TB such as health professionals, care givers, NGO field workers, all responsible citizens of a civil society—even children, as illustrated in the kids’ cartoon work, “The Magic of DOTS.”

Tuberculosis or TB (short for tubercle bacillus) is a common, yet dangerous infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Although TB affects the lungs in most of the cases, the disease can also affect the body’s central nervous system, genitourinary system, circulatory system, lymphatic system, gastrointestinal system, joints, bones and even the skin. Symptoms of TB include prolonged cough with sputum and blood, weakness, fever, night sweats and weight loss.

Shocking TB Facts

• Over 4,00,000 cases of Multi Drug Resistant TB (MDR-TB) are reported across the world every year with more than 1,00,000 estimated deaths

• 80, 000 MDR-TB cases from India each year

• 64% of the TB patients are women

• Upto 80% of TB patients test positive for HIV/AIDS in countries with high AIDS incidence

Challenges in TB Treatment

Multi –Drug Resistant TB (MDR-TB) is posing a challenge to health professionals by its resistance to two of the first line drugs used to cure TB—rifampicin and isoniazid. It is caused by the spontaneous mutation of the bacteria or by the patient’s default on treatment. More serious is the XDR-TB or eXtensively drug resistant TB that is also resistant to fluoroquinolones and to the injectibles—Kanamycin, Capreomycin and Amikacin.

MDR-TB and XDR-TB are the biggest health hazards for people living with HIV/AIDS. With the social stigma attached to AIDS, detecting TB becomes doubly difficult.

In developing countries like India patients stop medication for the following reasons: migration, alcohol, drug addiction, and sometimes due to violent side effects like vomiting that discourage the patient from further medication. Sometimes treatment is stopped after a couple of months, when the symptoms subside.

Dedicated (Directly Observed Treatment, Short Course) DOTS providers regularly track TB patients and encourage them to continue with the treatment till they are completely cured.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, the coordinated efforts by Health Care Providers, families and patients can help to completely eradicate TB.

Role of Health Care Providers: 

• Organize effective campaigns to inform people about TB control and DOTS with a view to increase self-referral and facilitate detection of TB cases

• Enable patients—especially the vulnerable and marginalized such as women and transgender people to access DOTS and other TB services

• Ensure quality of TB services provided in public or private enterprises