The National Forum on Tuberculosis held its first meeting in New Delhi. The members of the Forum deliberated upon the increased need to introduce new and more accurate diagnostics for tuberculosis (TB) to ensure timely and appropriate diagnosis. The members also discussed the rise and challenges of drug-resistant TB in India.
The Chief Guest at the meeting was Shashi Tharoor, Minister of State for Human Resource Development, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW). Soumya Swaminathan, Director, National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis (NIRT) made a presentation on the emergence of drug-resistant TB as well as the challenges of the Indian TB diagnostic landscape.
The National Forum on Tuberculosis also released the first national Standards of TB Care (STCI). STCI has been developed by the Central TB Division (CTD). It is a way to engage with the Indian private sector for effective TB prevention and control. The standards take into account World Health Organization (WHO) and International Standards for TB Care (ISTC) endorsed regimens used across the globe. The standards will be updated with the latest evidence and practices for TB control in India and disseminated to all private providers.
The forum was launched on May 8, 2013 with the vision to discuss and highlight critical challenges in TB prevention and control. The launch also saw the release of a Handbook on TB in India. The National Forum on TB will work to raise awareness on the need for improved TB control. The members of the forum will meet several times in a year to discuss critical challenges in TB control. Based on these discussions, the members will formulate key recommendations to address these challenges which will then be presented to the MoHFW for further action.
The forum consists of an advisory board comprising leading members of the Parliament. This meeting brought together parliamentarians, policymakers, technical experts, civil society representatives as well as government officials.
Dalbir Singh, convener of the forum commented, “The forum is dedicated to fight TB and as a first vital step, this meeting has brought together key stakeholders including parliamentarians, policymakers, civil society organisations and technical experts, who are committed to the cause. We are resolved to achieve enhanced TB prevention and control in India.”
TB kills one Indian every two minutes. India bears the highest burden of TB in the world- 2.3 million annually. This accounts for one-fifth of the global disease burden. TB is the cause of extensive economic losses leading to individual, family and community suffering. TB is also associated with a deep-seated stigma that often leads to discrimination within the workplace and the community.
As representatives of the world’s largest democracy, policy makers, parliamentarians and the civil society play a pivotal role in influencing policy decisions. The forum will aim to leverage this power to make an impact on the TB landscape in India.
EP News Bureau – Mumbai
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