The COVID-19 pandemic caused a severe dent in the decades of
progress achieved in tuberculosis control and elimination measures, indicating
that these measures need to be more structured and resilient. This manuscript
focuses on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on TB control and also on the
measures taken by the Government of India in effectively combating this
syndemic.
The main objective is to emphasise the impact of the COVID-19
pandemic on TB control and also to highlight the various innovative initiatives
taken by the Government of India to keep the spread of tuberculosis under
check.
The positive trends in tuberculosis elimination strategies
observed till 2019 showed a dramatic reversal after the onset of the COVID-19
pandemic. Biological interactions between tuberculosis and COVID-19 agents,
lung parenchymal damage occurring in both diseases, multiple lockdowns, the
reduced workforce at tuberculosis notification centres, and reallocation of
funds to control the new-onset pandemic were some of the reasons for the
decline in overall notifications across the globe.
The National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme initiated a
holistic approach to eliminate TB from South Asia by 2030. Innovative
strategies like digitalisation of service delivery systems, telemedicine
consultations, and a four-tier hierarchy system resulted in a rise in the
number of tuberculosis notifications. Making this campaign a public movement,
creating Public Support Groups and propagating an online Nikshay portal for
tuberculous notification greatly facilitated efforts to create a
tuberculosis-free world.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic causing a temporary slowdown,
digitalisation processes and various innovative strategies have kept disease
elimination hopes still alive. The government alone may not be able to
accomplish this goal. By increasing the Government’s responsibility and
accountability, facilitating an effective coalition with communities and civil
societies, protecting human rights, promoting ethics in treatment, enhancing
the equity of distribution of effective treatment across the community, and
calling for global collaboration in setting up strategic goals/targets at the
national level, the world could be TB-free by 2035. Combined efforts and
collective responsibility from the public, medical, and para-medical support
staff are imperative in making this dream of a tuberculosis-free society, soon
a reality.
Author(s) Details
Sriram Krishnamoorthy
Department of Urology & Renal Transplantation, Sri Ramachandra
Institute of Higher Education & Research, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
Kalpana Ramachandran
Department of Anatomy, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education &
Research, Chennai, Tamil Nadu,
India.
Please see the book here:- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/mmrnp/v2/1345
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