With 155 COVID-19 recovered individuals and their contacts in the State having been found to be positive for tuberculosis (TB) during the active case finding (ACF) campaign conducted in August last year, Health and Medical Education Minister K. Sudhakar has now sought a detailed report on the incidence of TB among recovered persons.
Speaking at an event organised by the State Health Department on the occasion of the ‘World TB Day’ on Thursday, the Minister claimed that it was for the first time in the country that TB screening had been conducted by the government for those who have recovered from COVID-19.
“Among 25 lakh people who were screened, 155 people were found to have TB. These people have contracted TB after recovering COVID-19. I have sought a detailed report on the incidence of TB in recovered patients,” he said.
Asserting that the State is committed to make Karnataka TB free by 2025, he said : “TB, like COVID-19, is a contagious disease. COVID-19 is caused by a virus and TB is caused by a bacterium. The society needs to join hands with the government and work collectively to achieve the target of TB elimination.”
“In rural areas, people do not get tested even if they have symptoms. One TB patient can spread the disease to at least ten people. If this happens, one person’s negligence will end up harming others. So, a lot more awareness has to be created about TB. The State government is spending more than ₹5 crore every year to create awareness about diseases,” the Minster said.
Stating that there is a lot of stigma attached to TB, he said such stigma will cause mental and emotional distress among patients. “We must work towards supporting these people emotionally. Ever since the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, we have conducted over 25 lakh mental health counselling sessions with the help of NIMHANS. Similarly, along with treatment for TB, the patient and their families need to be counselled,” he said.
14 districts bag medals for TB reduction
Five districts — Bengaluru Urban, Belgaum, Udupi, Uttara Kannada and Yadgiri — have been awarded silver medals for 40% reduction in TB burden compared to 2015. This recognition by the Union Health Ministry is under the initiative of sub-national certification of progress towards TB-free status. Similarly, nine districts have received bronze medals for a 20% reduction in TB burden.
