5 percent reduction in TB prevalence rate every year can eliminate TB by 2025, says State TB Officer
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, January 24 2023: In order to achieve the ambitious target of the Indian Government to eliminate tuberculosis by 2025, the TB prevalence rate in the State has to be reduced by 15 percent every year as against the 2.5 percent recorded from 2015 to 2020, informed State TB Officer Dr W Sashee Singh.

With an aim to help reduce diagnosis and treatment delays and prevent the spread of tuberculosis thereby contributing to the Government's effort to eliminate TB by 2025, Community Network for Empowerment (CoNE) in association with State TB Cell, Manipur has been taking up active case finding (ACF) campaign of TB among socially vulnerable groups, as a pilot initiative in the state, since January 12, 2023' .

As a part of the month-long campaign, the ACF was conducted at Makers Foundation Ipa Ibungo Drug De Addiction & Rehabilitation Centre, Thangmeiband today, said a press release by CoNE.

Speaking as resource person during the awareness session prior to conduct of the TB screening, State TB Officer Dr W Shashi Singh further informed that 40 percent of people are already infected by TB in India and considering the situation, the Prime Minister of India launched the National TB Elimination program ('NTEP) which aims to strategically reduce TB burden by 2025, five years ahead of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) .

Informing that the Government of India had targeted to reduce the TB prevalence rate to 80 percent by 2025 with 2015 as base year, the STO stated that the prevalence rate of TB in India in 2015 was 244 per lakh population but was recorded at 164 per lakh population in the case of Manipur.

The reduction rate of the prevalence of TB which has been recorded at 2.5 percent per year needs to be pushed up to 25 percent per year if at all the elimination target of TB is to be achieved by 2025, Dr Shashi said while adding that for this to achieve, there is the need to strengthen and accelerate the NTEP with support from all sections of the society.

He also expressed gratitude to CoNE for collaborating with State TB Cell in conducting ACF among vulnerable groups.

Altogether 27 inmates of Foundation Ipa Ibungo Drug De Addiction Centre were screened for TB.

Those found TB positive will be initiated treatment after conducting necessary baseline investigations under the national program.

It may be noted that TB is considered as the deadliest infectious disease in the world with over a million deaths reported every year.

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