Tuberculosis (TB)

Read about the most known infection – Tuberculosis (TB). The Bacterial infection caused by bacterium called Mycobacterium Tuberculosis. For this, the Bacille Calmette Guerin vaccine is given to babies or children to prevent TB. The Global target set for elimination of TB is 2030 but India aims to eliminate TB by 2025.

Steps for TB taken by Indian Govt.

National Strategic Plan for 2017-25 sets specific targets.
Setup of an Online Nikshay Portal for tracking of TB cases.
Improved access to molecular diagnostic tests such as CB-NAAT and TrueNat has been facilitated.
A universal drug susceptibility test determines the antibiotic susceptibility for all newly diagnosed cases.
Setup of community engagement program that involves Nikshay Mitra adopting TB patients and providing monthly nutritional support to them.

A new treatment regimen for Drug-resistant TB

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB –
- Patients who are infected with strains resistant to isoniazid and rifampicin, called multidrug-resistant(MDR) TB.
- They are practically incurable by standard first-line treatment.
Extensively drug-resistant (XDR) TB –
- It refers to MDR-TB strains that are resistant to fluoroquinolones and second-line injectable drugs.

Causes of Drug-resistant TB

The main causes of the spread of resistant TB are weak medical systems, amplification of resistance patterns through incorrect treatment, and transmission in communities and facilities.

BPaL

India is getting ready to roll out BPaL (bedaquiline, pretomanid, and linezolid) regimen for all multi/extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis patients. This is a significant move in the country’s battle against with the new regime indicating good results in countries including Pakistan, South Africa, Ukraine, etc.
BPaL is a new all-oral combination of drugs consisting of Bedaquiline (B), Pretomanid (Pa) and Linezolid (L).
- The new regimen is also expected to be more cost-effective, significantly. reducing treatment costs .
- After the availability of generic bedaquiline cost to TB programmes has fallen Enhance Treatment Outcomes.
- The regimen shortens treatment duration from 18-24 months to about six months and simplifies the process to three daily tablets, compared to the previous regimen of 14 drugs.
- A shorter regimen, such as BPaL, which is all oral and requires lesser doses per day, will make it easier for a patient to adhere to and complete treatments.