Improved Healthcare Facilities in India Slows Down Multi-Drug Resistant TB

Indian ministry of health and family welfare stated that the estimated proportion of Multi Drug Resistant TB (MDR TB) cases in India is not increasing. Incomplete and/or incorrect treatment for drug-sensitive TB is the main reason for MDR-TB. Among new TB cases, the proportion of MDR TB is less than 3% and 11 – 19% among recurrent TB cases.

As treatment for TB, Programmatic Management of Drug Resistant TB (PMDT) services are provided throughout the country free of cost under the Revised National TB Control Programme (RNTCP).

Accurate timely diagnosis through quality assured culture, drug susceptibility testing and appropriate treatment utilizing second line drugs under supervision are the core components of PMDT implementation.

Fifty out of 62 Culture and drug susceptibility testing (C-DST) laboratories are equipped with rapid molecular test named Line Probe Assay (LPA). Diagnosis of Drug Resistant TB is conducted through the quality assured drug susceptibility testing.

Cartridge Based Nucleic Acid Amplification (CBNAAT) Test Machines have been installed at 119 sites for early detection of Rifampicin resistance among TB cases.

Source-Medindia