World TB day: 11% increase in drug-resistant tuberculosis cases, say BMC data

Representation pic

Year 2025 is the Centre's deadline for achieving the 'Zero TB' target, but data released by BMC on the eve of World Tuberculosis Day shows a worrying upward swing in the number of TB cases registered in the 2016-17 period. While eight per cent has been recorded as the rise in TB cases overall in the city in 2017, drug-resistant TB cases shot up to 4,891 last year from 4,374 in 2016 - an increase of 11 per cent.

Civic officials have, however, claimed that this is a mere reflection of better reporting of cases in the early stages and improved diagnostic facilities in the city over the last few years. "Our social workers keep a regular check on patients and go door to door to sensitise them. Thanks to more awareness, people are coming forward to report," said BMC TB officer Dr Daksha Shah.

'Totally drug-resistant (XDR) TB' is strains that are resistant to all the first line and second line drugs - in particular, rifampicin and isonizaid, two of the main first line drugs, and fluoroquinolone and at least one of the second line injectable drugs. In 2012, drug-resistant TB became the biggest challenge for the city when Hinduja Hospital reported that few of the patients had developed resistance to the first line of treatment. In 2015, 3,608 in the city were reported to be suffering from multi-drug-resistant TB.

42,115
No. of TB cases in 2016

45,675
No. of TB cases in 2017

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