Tuberculosis (TB)

• Tuberculosis is an infection caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

• It can practically affect any organ of the body. The most common ones are lungs, pleura (lining around the lungs), lymph nodes, intestines, spine and brain

• It is an airborne infection that spreads through close contact with the infected

• Bacillus Calmette- Guerin(BCG) vaccine is primarily used against tuberculosis.

Measures taken by India to eradicate TB

• The National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP):

• Aims to strategically reduce TB burden in India by 2025

• It was previously known as Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP)

• The National Strategic Plan for TB Elimination:

• Launched to achieve the target of ending TB by 2025 in a mission mode.

• It aims to detect all TB patients with an emphasis on reaching TB patients seeking care from private providers and undiagnosed TB in high-risk populations

• Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana (NPY):

• It helps to meet the nutritional requirements of TB patients

• Patient Provider Support Agencies (PPSA):

• To engage the private sector, PPSA have been rolled out across 250 districts

• Universal Drug Susceptibility Testing (UDST):

• To ensure every diagnosed TB patient is tested to rule out drug resistance before or at the time of treatment initiation itself

• Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan:

• To bring together all community stakeholders to support those on TB treatment and accelerate the country’s progress towards TB elimination