Statewide TB awareness drive from June 1
Bhopal: A state-wide Intensive TB Free India Campaign will begin on June 1, with Bhopal among the key districts where health workers will reach out to vulnerable populations at transport hubs, health centres and industrial sites, officials said on Saturday.
Dr Prabhakar Tiwari, Chief Medical and Health Officer of Bhopal, announced that camps would operate at transport hubs, Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, health centres, factories, construction sites, and industrial areas to ensure comprehensive coverage of working-class communities.
The initiative focuses on screening, investigating, and treating high-risk patients, following the previous 100-day Nikshay camps held in 23 priority districts from December 7 to March 25, 2025.
The campaign specifically addresses diabetics, the malnourished, smokers, alcohol users, former TB patients, contacts and HIV-positive individuals, utilising NAAT and X-ray for diagnosis.
The campaign involves collaboration with local bodies, self-help groups, and various health committees. It aims to identify new Nikshay Mitras and TB Champions, whilst conducting awareness programmes through religious leaders, cultural activities, and school events. The initiative includes "Ni-Kshay Saptah" activities across government departments.
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Hindustan Times
4 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
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Meanwhile, the total number of authors on all AMR publications declined from a high of 3,599 in 1995 to just 1,827 in 2020. Investigators with a focused research interest in AMR too have further declined since the mid-1990s, falling from a peak of 1,300 to less than 700 by 2020. The situation is even more worrisome in the context of India. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), India contributes only 1% to the global antibacterial R&D pipeline, whereas 84% of this research is concentrated in high-income countries, with another 12% in upper-middle-income economies. For a country like India which not only carries one of the world's highest burdens of AMR but also contributes meaningfully to AMR resistance on the global level, the lack of focus on research and innovation severely undermines the efforts to combat this threat. The 2016 UNGA High-Level Meeting on AMR discussed a number of actions, including talent loss to address these challenges globally. However, the industry is still witnessing slow progress on work to contain AMR. This brain drain could further exacerbate the situation if necessary steps aren't taken to tackle the crisis at hand. This current trajectory of AMR research is deeply troubling and stems from a fundamental market failure. Currently most of the private investors and governments prefer directing fund to research in other disease areas, creating a vacuum for companies and SMEs who actively want to amplify work in the field of AMR. And even if some of the biggest players in the market invest in creating new antibiotics, they often don't attract investment. In recent years, AstraZeneca, Novartis, and Johnson & Johnson have all exited or cut back their work on AMR, including closing R&D facilities, selling antimicrobial portfolios, ending AMR development, and letting go of research teams. While SMEs are more agile and innovative in early-stage research and development of antibiotics in comparison to the bigger players, their situation too is marred by lack of funding globally. According to a report by the BEAM Alliance, 54% of the SME members struggle with enough funds to cover even a year's worth of operations and fear bankruptcy. Biopharmaceutical company, Achaogen is a prime example. Even after securing US FDA approval for plazomicin, the company was still forced to declare bankruptcy in April 2019 – after spending nearly a billion dollars and over a decade developing the antibiotic. This phenomenon further exacerbates the broken market for antimicrobials where major pharmaceutical companies are unable to offer long-term careers as they either fear bankruptcy or lack of investments and funding to continue research. 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The Hindu
5 hours ago
- The Hindu
Small change in MBBS education curriculum can make substantial impact on early detection of TB: study
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The first point of contact and active case finding Swathi Krishna, TB researcher and public health physician based in Pune and key faculty member behind the programme's implementation, explains the rationale, 'In our healthcare system, the first point of contact is often a missed opportunity. Students are the future of that system, so we need to train them not just in hospital-based care but in recognising the realities at the ground level.' Under this initiative, MBBS students visiting households began asking just four simple symptom-based questions related to TB. If any symptom was reported, the case was flagged and referred to the local ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) for follow-up and testing. This low-cost, high-reach strategy is referred to as 'active case finding', a method endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the NTEP, but rarely operationalised at scale in routine community interactions. 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This builds rapport. Initially, people are hesitant to talk about TB symptoms because of stigma or fear. But with time, they open up. They trust the students.' Stigma remains a formidable barrier. In many communities, TB is still viewed with fear and shame, leading patients to conceal symptoms or delay care. Awareness about the Nikshay Poshan Yojana—a scheme under the NTEP that provides free treatment, nutritional support, and diagnostics—is also limited. But the presence of students, guided by faculty mentors and supported by local health workers, gradually breaks down these barriers. Community engagement activities such as street plays, awareness rallies, and health talks further reinforce positive messaging and reduce misinformation. From an educational standpoint, the intervention fits seamlessly into the competency-based medical education (CBME) framework. Students are trained to communicate effectively, collect and analyse health data, and understand the social determinants of disease. Their work is assessed through logbooks and field reports, ensuring accountability. As Dr. Patil observes, 'This experience gives students a reality check. In hospitals, they see rare diseases. But in the field, it's about cough, fever, diarrhoea, and skin issues. These are the cases they will encounter as primary care physicians. They learn to think beyond the textbook.' Possibilities of expansion, challenges and further research The programme's design also allows for replication. Every medical college implementing FAP can adapt this TB symptom screening model. Each batch of MBBS students is assigned around 800 households, translating into a wide population base being covered. 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Authors also point out the importance of such TB screening initiatives, as a modest change in routine educational practice can make a substantial impact on both medical training and public health outcomes. Dr Swati says, 'It reinforces the idea that meaningful change does not always require massive infrastructure or funding. Sometimes, it just takes the right questions asked at the right time by the right people.'
Time of India
9 hours ago
- Time of India
Wastage in Karnataka blood banks hits a 3-year high
Image used for representative purpose only BENGALURU: Karnataka has discarded 44,776 units of blood this year - the highest recorded wastage in the past three years - according to data from the State Blood Cell. Data accessed by TOI showed a sharp rise in discarded blood units in 2024-25, up from 37,906 units in 2023-24 and surpassing the 43,857 units discarded in 2022-23. Each discarded unit represents roughly 450ml of blood. This increase comes despite consistent blood collection volumes across the years: 9.83 lakh units were collected in 2024-25, compared to 9.74 lakh in 2023-24 and 9.75 lakh in 2022-23. Health officials attribute a significant portion of the wastage to sero-reactive blood-units that test positive for infections such as HIV, hepatitis B and C, syphilis, or malaria. These infections are typically detected only after the blood is collected and tested in laboratories, as most blood donation camps do not screen for infections in advance. Doc: Limited shelf life of blood components raises wastage Most blood donation camps only check haemoglobin levels before accepting a donor," said Dr Shakila N, deputy director of State Blood Cell and Blood Storage Unit. "It's only during post-collection lab processing that we discover if the blood is sero-reactive. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Truque caseiro eficaz contra o bigode chinês (faça hoje mesmo) Notícias | Beleza | Mulher Saiba Mais Undo While donors are informed immediately about their health status, these units are deemed unusable and must be discarded." Dr Shakila highlighted that the limited shelf life of blood components contributes to further wastage. Platelets, for instance, last just five days, while red blood cells can be stored for up to 42 days. "If these components aren't used within that window - due to low demand, delays in processing, or lack of coordination - they expire and have to be thrown away," she explained. Beyond medical reasons, logistical challenges such as over-collection during donation drives, poor stock rotation, and inaccurate forecasting of blood type demand also led to unnecessary losses. Despite the increase in absolute numbers, officials note that the discard rate - as a percentage of total collected units - has declined in recent years. "We're working to reduce wastage through improved planning, better inventory management, and donor education," Dr Shakila added.
