India’s Tuberculosis Crisis

TB is a scary word. Ignorance makes it even worse!

The burden of the disease in India, is quite high! There have been many instances where patients have suffered for years and ultimately sold off their assets in want of the correct treatment!

As a country, we have been fighting tuberculosis for over 50 years and have still not been successful in eliminating it completely. Sadly, almost 2,00,000 people die every year in India from TB. If not diagnosed or treated early, TB can claim lives. 

Reason for India’s TB crisis

Labelled as the “most infectious” disease, tuberculosis in India is rising at an alarming rate. Poor living conditions, bad hygiene, use of psychoactive substances, poor nutrition and diet, extreme physical labour – all these reasons majorly contribute to India’s TB crisis.  

Economic conditions and substandard lifestyles often lead to TB. In fact, tuberculosis in India is referred to as “disease of the poor”. However, the outbreak is not limited within this economic circle. TB is an airborne disease so when a patient with TB bacteria coughs, sneezes, speaks or sings, the chance of healthy people around getting affected is very high. 

Other major reasons leading to TB crisis are:-

• Isolated health campaigns in rural India

• Lack of knowledge of TB symptoms 

• Lack of diagnostics

• No access to quality treatment

Early symptoms of TB

While Tb can affect the kidneys, bones, lymph nodes and joints, 80% of TB cases reported are of lungs. Early signs include:-

• Coughing blood

• Chest pain

• Exhaustion

• Weight loss

• Loss of appetite

• Fever

• Shortness of breath

Is TB curable?

Yes, tuberculosis is curable if diagnosed and treated in time. 

However, there are certain cases on non-curable TB too. Totally Drug Resistant – TB (TDR-TB), Multi Drug Resistant –TB(MDR-TB), Extremely Drug Resistant –TB (XDR-TB) – are rare cases of tuberculosis where the TB bacteria are resistant to any and all forms of drug (drugs cannot kill the TB bacteria). There are no special causes to these extremely rare forms of tuberculosis. But TDR, MDR, XDR TB patients are immune to the most potent of TB drugs. The scare is more for patients having HIV, as it weakens the immunity system in the body and the body fails to respond to the medication. 

Reasons for Drug resistant TB

Drug resistant TB occurs when TB drugs are not used properly.

Mostly in cases like –

• TB treatment has not been completed/ or left midway.

• Doctors prescribe the wrong medicines.

• Poor quality drugs are used for treatment.

The Need for Change

Raise your voice and talk about lifestyle diseases openly. Break the taboo of being shy and the need to hide diseases as TB. The more people feel at ease to discuss their health problems, the easier it becomes to address and cure such diseases.