Indian Medical Association holds special webcast on occasion of World Tuberculosis Day

Indian Medical Association holds special webcast on occasion of World Tuberculosis Day

On the occasion of World Tuberculosis Day today, IMA hosted a special webcast aimed at educating the medical fraternity about the importance of early detection, notification of TB cases. Padma Shri Awardee Dr KK Aggarwal – Honorary Secretary General IMA, chaired the webcast. The special speaker for the session was Dr. KK Chopra – Director New Delhi TB Centre.

India is the country with the highest burden of TB. It is estimated that about 40% of the Indian population is infected with TB bacteria, the vast majority of whom have latent rather than active TB. The World Health Organisation (WHO) statistics for 2014 give an estimated incidence figure of 2.2 million cases of TB for India out of a global incidence of 9 million. The estimated TB prevalence figure for 2014 is given as 2.5 million.

Each year 12 lakh (1,200,000) Indians are notified as having newly diagnosed TB. In addition at least 2.7 lakh (270,000) Indians die. Some estimates calculate the deaths as being twice as high.

“Each and every medical professional must notify TB so that every contact can be traced and spread of the infection in the society can be stopped. Not notifying TB is not only violation of State Municipal act (Section 371b of DMC, punishable as fine or imprisonment) but also of MCI Act (5.2 and 7.14, both amounts to professional misconduct) and Section 269 & 270 of the Indian Penal Code (both entails fine or imprisonment or both,” said Padma Shri Awardee Dr KK Aggarwal – National President IMA.

Adding to this, Dr. KK Chopra – Director New Delhi TB Centre said, “The Government of India had made TB a notified disease in May 2012, which meant that it has become mandatory for private hospitals to report TB cases to authorities. Strict enforcement of laws on TB notification, infection and control at all levels and uninterrupted laboratory supplies are some of the steps needed to control the disease.”

Though 50 per cent of TB patients go to private practitioners, private sector — that includes both laboratories and doctors — has reported only about 2 lakh cases so far. In 2014, India had an estimated 2.2 million (22 lakh) new TB cases.

 “Case notification is estimated to be only 58% in our country. Over one third of cases are not diagnosed, or they are diagnosed but not treated, or they are diagnosed and treated but not notified to the RNTCP. Notification of TB cases is extremely important to help achieve a TB free India and the IMA is committed to educating its 2,5 lakh members as well as the Indian population about the importance of TB prevention, timely diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation,” added Dr. KK Aggarwal.

Tuberculosis, or TB, is an infectious bacterial disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which most commonly affects the lungs. It is transmitted from person to person via droplets from the throat and lungs of people with the active respiratory disease.

Recently, IMA HQs also took out a Rally where the students participated carrying the placards with TB messages to create awareness for the general mass regarding the various aspects of the TB and its prevention.