TB  in India- the ticking time bomb

Another World Tuberculosis Day is over and we continue to pay only lip service in combating this problem which is only getting more complicated. India happens to be the country with not only the maximum number of Tuberculosis patients(more than a third of the global TB burden) but also the country with an alarming number of drug-resistant TB cases.

“Ebola with wings”

One of India’s leading chest physicians, Mumbai’s Dr Zarir Udwadia, who is in the forefront of the fight against Tuberculosis and also the government’s inertia, called the disease, “Ebola with wings.” In a talk to mark the World TB day( March 24^th), he stressed the need for incorporation of two new drugs in the treatment of multidrug resistant TB(MDR TB). Two new drugs, Bedaquiline and Delaminid, which are available globally, are not yet available for Indian patients.

The disease has also been under-reported from India, between 2000 -2015, thus causing a major embarrassment to the country in the eyes of WHO.

Government cuts down the budget for TB!

Inspite of the need for urgent action, the Central government has actually cut down the budget for TB.

Year Requested budget Approved budget

2014-15 Rs 1,358 crores Rs, 710 crores

2015-16 Rs 1,000 crores Rs 640 crores

A public policy failure – says Chest physician

Dr.Udwadia also called the TB patients as “therapeutic destitutes.” “Drug-resistant TB represents a collective indictment of all of us as a society. Of the tests too slow. The drugs too toxic. Of the government programme that’s underfunded and inefficient. Of the private practitioners who’ll dole out the drugs but not compassion. Of the public policy failure.”

-UDAAN