Mumbai has highest no of drug-resistant TB cases

NEW DELHI: Mumbai, the financial capital of India, has the dubious distinction of being home to the highest number of TB patients in the world. The city has a prevalence of over 50,000 tuberculosis cases. Worse, it is also the hub of multi-drug resistant (MDR) tuberculosis with as many as 28000 notified cases, according to National Forum on Tuberculosis (NFT).

Experts say with an estimated population of more than 14 million, Mumbai is a melting pot for a variety of communities and socio-economic segments. With its slum population, lack of adequate ventilation and crowded and unhygienic spaces, the city has become an easy target for constantly rising incidence of contagious diseases like tuberculosis.

Out of the estimated global annual incidence of 9 million tuberculosis cases, India accounts for 2.3 million new cases every year. While the massive burden of tuberculosis itself is a concern, government and public health experts are more worried of the increasing number of drug resistant tuberculosis cases.

“There is a sheer need for innovation and systematic implementation to address the MDR challenge,” health minister JP Nadda said, highlighting the need to create a system that would plug the gaps arising out of improper and ineffective monitoring.

The total number of MDR tuberculosis cases in India are estimated at around 1,10,000. This is significant as compared to Brazil and South Africa which reported around 15-20,000 MDR tuberculosis annually, NFT President Dalbir Singh said.

According to Singh, apart from unhygienic and poor living conditions, inadequate diagnosis and incomplete treatment is also a major reason for rising number of drug resistant cases.

“Often people take medicines for a few days or months and then as they start feeling better they stop treatment. As a result, the bacteria continues to survive in the body and becomes activate after a certain period,” Singh said.

The government is now working to create awareness around the disease along with standardization of treatment. It has also roped in Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan for campaign on tuberculosis.

While the tuberculosis menace is on the rise, a large number of cases still go undetected. According to World Health Organization (WHO), India tops the list of the world's missed tuberculosis cases. Almost 24% of the world's missed tuberculosis cases are from India, and 50% of detected cases are not reported.