India is a hotbed of Tuberculosis Cases
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Dr.Narayan Iyer (IDF)
Mar 24, 2008, 8:34:36 AM3/24/08
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Dear Friends :
IDF's remarks are found in today's DNA news. Today is World TB Day.
Let's join hands and StopTB.
Regards,
Dr. Narayan B. Iyer
When Rambhau Patil, 35, from Wada was diagnosed with bilateral
tuberculosis, he decided to move to his aunt's place in Mumbai to seek
better treatment. Little did Patil know that he would infect two more
members of his family with tuberculosis.
"We found out how infectious the disease is the hard way," says Leela
Bhave, whose husband and five-year-old son contracted TB through Patil.
The trio has been undergoing treatment for more than nine months now.
The Bhaves are not the only ones to have met with such a cruel fate. It
is estimated that nearly six lakh Indians, unaware that they suffer from
TB, continue to infect a large number of healthy people around them.
"Fear of going to a doctor, expenses, and stigma are the three biggest
factors that make tb the deadly disease that it is in India," says Dr
ARK Pillai, who has worked with TB patients for several years and is
President of the Indian Development Foundation (IDF).
The Bhaves are not the only ones to have met with such a cruel fate. It
is estimated that nearly six lakh Indians, unaware that they suffer from
TB, continue to infect a large number of healthy people around them.
"Fear of going to a doctor, expenses, and stigma are the three biggest
factors that make tb the deadly disease that it is in India," says Dr
ARK Pillai, who has worked with TB patients for several years and is
President of the Indian Development Foundation (IDF).
India is the world's TB capital, recording an estimated 1.9 million new
cases every year. But only 70 per cent of these cases are actually
detected and put on the highly effective Directly Observed Treatment
Short Course (DOTS) programme. Each of these active TB patients left
undetected goes on to infect 10 to 15 people on an average, every year,
according to the World Health Organisation.
cases every year. But only 70 per cent of these cases are actually
detected and put on the highly effective Directly Observed Treatment
Short Course (DOTS) programme. Each of these active TB patients left
undetected goes on to infect 10 to 15 people on an average, every year,
according to the World Health Organisation.
India is reported to have about 14 million TB cases with a relatively
high proportion of HIV-AIDS involvement. "Consistent cough for three
weeks or more, higher body temperature during the night, presence of
blood traces in the sputum, and loss of appetite and body weight are the
general symptoms of TB," says Dr Pillai. "People with these symptoms
need to go to the nearest doctor and take adequate treatment without
delay."
high proportion of HIV-AIDS involvement. "Consistent cough for three
weeks or more, higher body temperature during the night, presence of
blood traces in the sputum, and loss of appetite and body weight are the
general symptoms of TB," says Dr Pillai. "People with these symptoms
need to go to the nearest doctor and take adequate treatment without
delay."
The DOTS programme, where treatment is available at the doorstep after
initial diagnosis and confirmation by a doctor, has been a major success
in the country. "But it is important for every patient to continue
treatment for at least a year or till a doctor declares the patient
completely cured," says Chest Physician Dr Ashok Surve. "Patients tend
to stop treatment after a few doses, which can prove disastrous. It may
cause a relapse into Multi-Drug-Resistant (MDR) TB, which is difficult
to cure and more expensive to treat."
Another important warning is that TB being a highly infectious and
communicable disease, it is necessary for the patient to go through a
period of quarantine to avoid passing the disease to others in the
family.
communicable disease, it is necessary for the patient to go through a
period of quarantine to avoid passing the disease to others in the
family.
Full Story can be found at
--
Dr. Narayan B. Iyer, National Co-ordinator
Indian Development Foundation (IDF)
[Formerly Indian Leprosy Foundation]
L 10/ 3 & 4 Jal Ratan Deep
Bangur Nagar, Goregaon (West)
Mumbai 400 104
Tel: 022 - 2876 2008/ 2876 3008
Cell : +91 98 19 13 13 88
Email : idfm...@gmail.com or in...@vsnl.net
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