BENGALURU: The health department started the screening of 1.03 crore people for Tuberculosis (TB) on Monday and will continue till July 13. This is being done under the active case finding (ACF) campaign of the department in targeted groups.
TB is a contagious, severe airborne disease typically affecting the lungs, but it can also affect other organs of the body. It is usually treated with a regimen of drugs taken for six months to two years depending on the type of infection. Prevalence surveys also suggest that not all with chest symptoms seek care and many ignore the symptoms. The campaign can target people with or without symptoms or signs of TB and also people who do not seek care.
Last year, Karnataka notified around 69,000 TB cases. ACF’s primary objective is detecting TB cases early and initiating treatment. Increased coverage is achieved by focusing on clinically, socially and occupationally vulnerable populations.
Last year, three rounds of ACF campaign was conducted in Bengaluru city, Bangalore Urban, Bangalore Rural, Bagalkot, Belagavi, Ballari, Koppal, Raichur, Kalaburagi, Ramanagara, Vijayapura, Chikkaballapur, Chitradurga, Davanagere, Dharwad, Gadag, Mandya, Haveri, and Tumakuru districts and around 5,000 TB patients were diagnosed and treated.
According to Union health ministry’s last available 2015 estimates, the incidence of tuberculosis in the country is 217 per one lakh population, but Karnataka is detecting only 101 cases per one lakh population a year. This means the State has to identify more TB cases, which are going undiagnosed or are being treated by private doctors without being notified. In 2016, Karnataka notified 60,000 cases.
India accounts for one-fourth (27 per cent) of TB cases globally and 34 per cent of global TB mortality as per the World TB Report 2016. In 2015, around 28 lakh people developed TB in the country and an estimated 4.8 lakh people died from the disease.