Liromoba MLA adopts TB patients, pitches for TB-Free India
Itanagar: Liromoba MLA Pesi Jilen has adopted four TB patients from West Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh under the Ni-Kshay Mitra initiative, part of the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan.
Speaking at an event held on Saturday at Aalo Zonal Hospital, the MLA encouraged TB patients not to lose hope, emphasising that the disease is curable with proper medication, care, and nutrition.
He appealed to all to actively contribute to creating a TB-free India, saying collective effort can bring strength and hope to those battling the illness. He also urged everyone to work together to turn the slogan "TB Haarega, Desh Jeetega" into reality.
The MLA also distributed food baskets to seven TB patients.
West Siang district medical officer Dr Linya Lollen, Aalo additional deputy commissioner Mabi Taipodia Jini, and district TB officer Dr Nyade Padu Bagra were also present.
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Hindustan Times
3 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Harnessing India's medical colleges in the fight against TB
India has made undeniable progress in its battle against tuberculosis (TB). The World Health Organization (WHO) acknowledged a 17.7% drop in TB incidence in the country from 237 to 195 per lakh population between 2015 and 2023 – double the pace observed globally. Despite these advancements, India continues to bear the highest TB burden globally1, making the goal of a TB-free India even more urgent. Against this backdrop, medical colleges have emerged as vital players in the national TB response - providing a template for other disease programmes to tap into their potential for a healthier India. TB (AFP) Harnessing India's vast network of medical colleges is a cornerstone of the nation's ambitious strategy to eliminate TB by 2025. These institutions have transitioned from peripheral actors to central pillars in the fight against TB, contributing significantly to nearly every facet of the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP). Medical colleges have evolved beyond tertiary referral centres to become critical nodes in India's public health infrastructure and the TB elimination response. They serve patients from both within and beyond their districts and states, offering significant potential for case detection not just in TB and respiratory departments, but across all specialties. Equipped with advanced laboratories and specialised centres, nearly all of India's 651 medical colleges are working closely with the NTEP. Notably, 336 medical colleges have centres dedicated to managing drug-resistant TB, a more complex and harder-to-treat form of the disease. With cutting-edge diagnostic tools and clinical expertise in handling health complications, these institutions are leading to better TB care and outcomes. In 2023, medical colleges notified nearly 14% of all TB cases in India – a clear sign of their growing role in this national effort. Medical colleges are playing an increasingly important role in responding to the emerging trends in the TB epidemic. Extra-pulmonary forms of the disease that occur outside the lungs are on the rise and are generally harder to detect and treat. It now makes up 20-24% of all TB cases in India, especially among people with weaker immunity. With their advanced labs, specialist departments, and tertiary care capacity, medical colleges are uniquely positioned to deliver the multi-disciplinary care required to detect and manage these harder-to-treat cases. Medical colleges are also well placed to design and implement innovative health solutions, with research and practice occurring side by side. For example, the Bharati Vidyapeeth Medical College in Pune repurposed its Family Adoption Programme – where each student engages with five families over three years – to integrate community-based TB screening into the existing medical curriculum. This not only helped detect cases in the community, but also taught students to recognise key TB symptoms, demonstrating a scalable model for active case finding. One of our standout achievements has been fostering global collaborations. The ongoing partnership between AIIMS Gorakhpur and Johns Hopkins University through the TB-Free Schools initiative aimed at early detection, treatment, and prevention of TB among students in residential schools, demonstrates how Indian medical colleges can drive impactful international engagement. As this model is scaled, it reinforces what we have long championed—that medical colleges, when systematically integrated with state health systems, are among the most cost-effective and scalable platforms for delivering high-impact TB interventions. By leveraging these institutions, we can enhance passive case finding, improve diagnosis, and ensure timely treatment. With a structured mechanism for accountability under NTEP, medical colleges can become hubs for TB management. Furthermore, they are instrumental in building a competent healthcare workforce by integrating practical, programme-oriented TB management skills into the medical curriculum, thereby preparing a new generation of doctors for the challenges of TB elimination. Through a structured framework of national, zonal, and state-level task forces, medical colleges contribute to operational research, generating vital evidence to refine public health strategies and improve patient outcomes. By embedding themselves within the community through initiatives like the Family Adoption Programme, they also bolster active case finding efforts, ensuring early diagnosis and treatment, thus playing an indispensable and multifaceted role in India's journey towards a TB-free future. For TB and other critical public health challenges, where understanding patient behavior, treatment barriers, and local epidemiology is critical, the ability of medical colleges to connect science with ground-level implementation is key to turning policy into real-world action. They have technical expertise to strengthen surveillance systems, research capacity to strengthen monitoring and evaluation, and educational mandate to build local capability through supportive supervision. The integration of medical colleges into the TB elimination framework has been one of the most strategic shifts under the NTEP. Medical colleges have redefined their role in public health, not only by contributing to TB management, but by setting a precedent for how academic institutions can anchor systemic change. Their success is not incidental; it is the result of sustained collaboration, institutional commitment, and a shared vision of making India TB-free. Importantly, the integration of medical colleges into the TB response offers a replicable framework for tackling other complex health challenges in India – such as anti-microbial resistance, non-communicable diseases, and neglected tropical diseases – through a blend of research, education, service delivery, and community engagement. This article is authored by Dr Ashok Bhardwaj, professor emeritus, MM Medical & Hospital College Solan, Himachal Pradesh and chairperson of the National Task Force for Medical Colleges under NTEP and Dr Bhupendra Tripathi, deputy director, Infectious Diseases and Vaccine Delivery, Gates Foundation, India.
Time of India
10 hours ago
- Time of India
BJ Medical College to undertake ‘targeted' genome sequencing of TB samples to get accurate picture of mutation
1 2 3 Pune: BJ Medical College and Sassoon General Hospital will now undertake 'targeted' genome sequencing of 50 tuberculosis samples. These samples would be sequenced as per World Health Organisation (WHO)'s genome Atlas to analyse the genetic makeup of mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that causes TB. BJ Medical College is now undertaking 'targeted' genome sequencing of samples from 50 TB patients to get a more accurate picture of mutation in the bacteria. Targeted genome sequencing involves focusing on specific, predefined regions of genome for sequencing, rather than sequencing the entire genome (whole-genome sequencing). This helps researchers and clinicians who want to investigate specific genes or genomic regions of interest. The college had carried out genome sequencing during Covid-19 pandemic. As per WHO, India has the highest burden of TB, with two deaths occurring every three minutes from tuberculosis (TB). Also, India accounts for almost 26% of drug-resistant TB cases from across the world. To expedite TB elimination, the central govt's Dare2eraD TB programme (data driven research to eradicate TB), launched on March 24, 2022 undertook whole genome sequencing of 32,000 TB samples to identify drug resistance and improve treatment outcomes. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Adidas Three Shorts With 60% Discount, Limited Stock Available Original Adidas Shop Now Undo As part of this initiative, BJ Medical College had sent 1,000 samples to the department of biotechnology. Dr Rajesh Kartyakarte, head of microbiology department at the college, said, "The central govt's programme entails undertaking whole genome sequencing, which is very time consuming and expensive. However, we are now aiming to focus on targeted 'genome sequencing' for which we will refer to WHO's genome atlas. TB's genome is very big and so it is time consuming but with targeted sequencing we can find the type of mycobacterium and the exact drug resistance. If a particular drug acts on a certain protein and that protein has mutated, it means that the bacteria is resistant to that drug. We have received funding for the same and will soon be able to undertake targeted genome sequencing, maybe in a month or two, once we procure the kits." Dr Sanjay Gaikwad, head of pulmonology department at BJ Medical College, said, "It is very crucial to know whether the patient is suffering from any drug resistance and, if they are, then we need to know from which drug. Based on this information, the drug treatment regime is determined. As of now, we use CBNAAT tests to determine the drug-resistant TB. With the help of this test, we can know whether it is R-resistant or R-sensitive or H-resistant or H-sensitive. " CBNAAT, or cartridge-based nucleic acid amplification test, is a rapid molecular diagnostic test primarily used for diagnosing tuberculosis (TB) and detecting rifampicin resistance, an indicator of MDR-TB. BOX – 28% (28 lakh) of world's TB cases are diagnosed in India every year – 3,31,000 deaths due to TB in the country in 2022 – The Centre's goal is to eliminate TB by 2025 – Drug-resistant TB rate is 7% to 10% Pune: BJ Medical College and Sassoon General Hospital will now undertake 'targeted' genome sequencing of 50 tuberculosis samples. These samples would be sequenced as per World Health Organisation (WHO)'s genome Atlas to analyse the genetic makeup of mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that causes TB. BJ Medical College is now undertaking 'targeted' genome sequencing of samples from 50 TB patients to get a more accurate picture of mutation in the bacteria. Targeted genome sequencing involves focusing on specific, predefined regions of genome for sequencing, rather than sequencing the entire genome (whole-genome sequencing). This helps researchers and clinicians who want to investigate specific genes or genomic regions of interest. The college had carried out genome sequencing during Covid-19 pandemic. As per WHO, India has the highest burden of TB, with two deaths occurring every three minutes from tuberculosis (TB). Also, India accounts for almost 26% of drug-resistant TB cases from across the world. To expedite TB elimination, the central govt's Dare2eraD TB programme (data driven research to eradicate TB), launched on March 24, 2022 undertook whole genome sequencing of 32,000 TB samples to identify drug resistance and improve treatment outcomes. As part of this initiative, BJ Medical College had sent 1,000 samples to the department of biotechnology. Dr Rajesh Kartyakarte, head of microbiology department at the college, said, "The central govt's programme entails undertaking whole genome sequencing, which is very time consuming and expensive. However, we are now aiming to focus on targeted 'genome sequencing' for which we will refer to WHO's genome atlas. TB's genome is very big and so it is time consuming but with targeted sequencing we can find the type of mycobacterium and the exact drug resistance. If a particular drug acts on a certain protein and that protein has mutated, it means that the bacteria is resistant to that drug. We have received funding for the same and will soon be able to undertake targeted genome sequencing, maybe in a month or two, once we procure the kits." Dr Sanjay Gaikwad, head of pulmonology department at BJ Medical College, said, "It is very crucial to know whether the patient is suffering from any drug resistance and, if they are, then we need to know from which drug. Based on this information, the drug treatment regime is determined. As of now, we use CBNAAT tests to determine the drug-resistant TB. With the help of this test, we can know whether it is R-resistant or R-sensitive or H-resistant or H-sensitive. " CBNAAT, or cartridge-based nucleic acid amplification test, is a rapid molecular diagnostic test primarily used for diagnosing tuberculosis (TB) and detecting rifampicin resistance, an indicator of MDR-TB. BOX – 28% (28 lakh) of world's TB cases are diagnosed in India every year – 3,31,000 deaths due to TB in the country in 2022 – The Centre's goal is to eliminate TB by 2025 – Drug-resistant TB rate is 7% to 10%
Time of India
14 hours ago
- Time of India
Liromoba MLA adopts TB patients, pitches for TB-Free India
Itanagar: Liromoba MLA Pesi Jilen has adopted four TB patients from West Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh under the Ni-Kshay Mitra initiative, part of the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan. Speaking at an event held on Saturday at Aalo Zonal Hospital, the MLA encouraged TB patients not to lose hope, emphasising that the disease is curable with proper medication, care, and nutrition. He appealed to all to actively contribute to creating a TB-free India, saying collective effort can bring strength and hope to those battling the illness. He also urged everyone to work together to turn the slogan "TB Haarega, Desh Jeetega" into reality. The MLA also distributed food baskets to seven TB patients. West Siang district medical officer Dr Linya Lollen, Aalo additional deputy commissioner Mabi Taipodia Jini, and district TB officer Dr Nyade Padu Bagra were also present.
