The incidence of tuberculosis (TB) in Meghalaya fell in the year from 2022 to 2023 despite a greater number of tests conducted over the period.
The National Health Mission (NHM) Meghalaya today observed World TB Day under the theme, ‘Yes, we can end TB’.
The programme was followed by the inauguration of a culture and drug susceptibility testing (C&DST) laboratory at RP Chest Hospital here.
Dignitaries in attendance were NHM Meghalaya Mission Director and Secretary of Health and Family Welfare Ramkumar S, senior government medical officials and staff of the hospital.
In his remarks, Ramkumar said that the state and central governments have a very clear vision to end TB in a comprehensive manner in the country and a need to test for almost all cases whenever they have a certain threshold to see what treatment regimens can be given to the people. He added that TB as a disease has to be taken seriously and it can be cured with proper treatment.
He also stressed upon screening of TB at the village level and called upon the coordination of village health council, the traditional practitioners, system of labs, diagnostics, treatments, to ensure that TB is completely eliminated in the state and the country.
Dr J Kharwanlang, State Tuberculosis Officer, informed that the state had notified 4,974 cases in 2022 and 4,812 cases in 2023.
The presumptive TB examination rate per lakh jumped from 646 per lakh in 2021 to 1,433 per lakh in 2023.
“Despite the presumptive TB examination rate increasing by more than double (ie a greater number of tests carried out) and use of high quality diagnostic tests, the notification rate showed a decline from 130 per lakh in 2022 to 124 per lakh in 2023, reflecting an overall fall of TB incidence in the state,” she stated.
During the programme, the C&DST lab was inaugurated. It will provide the necessary support in the diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis. As part of the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP), numerous regional laboratories have been set up across states. These labs offer C&DST facilities for presumptive TB and for presumptive DRTB (drug-resistant TB) patients.
