Jaipur: The health department’s target to eliminate tuberculosis by 2025 has been missed after 1.8 lakh new TB cases were identified during a campaign from Dec 7 to Dec 30.Of the total 1,76,063 new instances of TB identified, 1,09,523 cases were prevalent among the vulnerable populations, while 65,356 belonged to other groups.
Officials said all identified patients will be linked with treatment to curb further transmission. They flagged a higher TB positivity rate in other population groups at 3%, compared with 1% in the vulnerable group. “These were hidden cases which were identified,” officials said.Jaipur reported the highest number of cases: 12,416 in the vulnerable population and 13,708 in other population groups. The positivity rate in the vulnerable population was 1%, but in the non-vulnerable group it was 5%.
Alwar reported an even higher positivity rate of 7% in the non-vulnerable population, with 1% in the vulnerable group.The health department screened 1.8 crore people for TB in December, including 1.6 crore from vulnerable populations. A senior official said, “The main objective of the campaign was to quickly identify hidden TB cases and provide timely treatment. Door-to-door screening was conducted in vulnerable populations such as people living with HIV/AIDS, diabetes, people above 60 years of age, malnourished individuals, smokers/alcoholics, migrant workers, tribal communities, former TB patients, as well as people living in mining and construction sites, jails, and urban slums.”Identifying TB cases in vulnerable populations is crucial because they have compromised immune systems. However, the official said those who are infected but not yet ill with the disease cannot transmit it.The department said campaigns to identify new cases would help control the spread of TB. The official said, “With continuous efforts of district-level teams and public participation, timely identification of the maximum possible number of patients is becoming possible, which will effectively break the chain of infection.”TB spreads through the air when people with lung TB cough, sneeze, or spit. A person needs to inhale only a few germs to become infected.
