Drug-resistant tuberculosis is one of the major obstacles in ridding Meghalaya of the disease, it was revealed today on the occasion of World Tuberculosis Day.
On the occasion, Health and Family Welfare Minister AL Hek launched the ‘Meghalaya State Strategic Plan to Eliminate TB by 2025’.
The plan is in line with the National Strategic Plan 2017-25 and is a framework to guide the activities of all stakeholders.
It is estimated that around 4,500 cases of TB are diagnosed in Meghalaya every year. The burden of drug-resistant TB, however, is increasing, with its proportion rising from 3.6 per one lakh population to 8.5 in the past seven years. Between 2015 and 2019, there was a 62 percent rise in cases of drug-resistant tuberculosis in the state.
Another challenge is HIV/AIDS, According to official data, there are 4,525 HIV-infected people in the state and the TB-HIV co-infections will pose a hurdle in achieving the goal of a TB-free state.
The other challenges faced by Meghalaya in this regard are diabetes, use of tobacco, alcohol, migrants and malnutrition.
