Tb-Mission 2020 / क्षय रोग मिशन 2020

क्षय रोग मिशन 2020

TB-Mission 2020 is Government of India mission to eliminate tuberculosis from India by 2020. The mission was announced by Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Minister of Health and Family Welfare on 28 October 2014 at Barcelona while speaking at World Health Organization (WHO’s) Global TB Symposium. The symposium was titled ‘moving out of the box to end global TB epidemic: with post-2015 strategy’. Tuberculosis (commonly called TB) is an infection caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which mostly affects the lungs. It is one of the most deadly & infectious diseases today affecting 2 billion people or 1/3rd of the global population. About 80% of the population of Assam & Africa countries test positive in TB. Efforts are being taken by the Indian government to provide free diagnosis and treatment as well as nutrition support and relevant financial enablers to the patients from government and private hospitals. The WHO has designated tuberculosis as a global emergency as a million people fall ill with TB every year and it is the greatest killer worldwide due to a single bacterial infection. Tuberculosis control was also declared as the dominant agenda for the upcoming meeting of BRICS Health Ministers in December

Benefits of TB-Mission 2020:

• Benefits to provide free diagnosis and treatment as well as nutrition support and relevant financial enablers to the patients from government and private hospitals
• Also, the government would take steps to ban commercial serology for TB diagnosis bringing anti TB drugs under separate schedule of national drug law so as to prevent its misuse and mandatory notification of a new TB case

What is Tuberculosis (TB)?

1. Tuberculosis (TB) is caused by bacteria (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) that most often affect the lungs. Tuberculosis is curable and preventable. TB is spread from person to person through the air. When people with lung TB cough, sneeze or spit, they propel the TB germs into the air. A person needs to inhale only a few of these germs to become infected. About one-third of the world’s population has latent TB, which means people have been infected by TB bacteria but are not (yet) ill with disease and cannot transmit the disease

Features of TB Mission 2020:

1. The union health minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan launched the TB mission 2020 underlying the plans of the government to eliminate tuberculosis from India. The announcement was made at WHO’s global TB symposium titled Moving out of the box to end global TB epidemic post 2015 strategy, during the address of 45th Union World Conference on lung health at Barcelona
2. The delegation also chaired the meeting of technical experts from BRICS countries. Tuberculosis control was dominant agenda declared for BRICS health Ministers meet in December 2014
3. The Ministry emphasized on the joint efforts of health care professionals, stakeholders, policymakers and communities they serve. Under the evolving TB mission 2020, the ministry has instructed anti-TB mission officials to work hard for achieving success

India’s efforts against TB:

1. India launched a Revised National Tuberculosis control policy in March 2006 in which it designed systematic DOTS Strategy for all over India 100 million populations in 100 districts of reporting units were covered
2. Political & Administrative Commitment: TB should be given topmost priority by the government of India due to the number of killings it does. This priority must be continued and expanded at the state, districts and local level
3. Good Diagnosis Quality: A good quality of microscopy would allow the health workers to see the bacteria and identify the infectious patients thus
4. Good Quality and Uninterrupted Supply of Drugs: In RNTCP a box of medication for entire treatment is provided to every registered TB patient ensuring availability of full course of treatment. Thus in DOTS treatment no patient would be without medicine
5. Supervised Treatment to Ensure Right Treatment: RNTCP uses best available medicines but unless treatment is made convenient for the patients it would fail. Hence now under RNTCP DOTS programme (directly observed treatment) in which a health worker other than that of a patient’s family member will monitor the patient when he takes medicines, is included.
6. Systematic Monitoring & accountability: Cohort analysis is to be done in which outcome of every patients treatment is recorded and analyzed

How to Apply:

1. A patient should visit nearest government hospitals in district/Taluka
2. A patient also visit private hospitals

References & Details:

1. For more details about TB-Mission 2020 visit: http://mohfw.nic.in/
2. TB-Mission 2020 visit: http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=110883