Lok Sabha Question No. 1815 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-02-11
Subject: Increase in TB due to COVID-19
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Manne Srinivas Reddy, Debasree Chaudhuri, Vellalath Kochukrishnan Nair. Sreekandan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1815 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.02.2022

## INCREASE IN TB DUE TO COVID -19

1815 SHRI MANNE SRINIVAS REDDY: SHRI V. K. SREEKANDAN MS. DEBASHREE CHAUDHURI:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- a) Whether  the  Government  will  be  able  to  achieve  its  set  target  of  eliminating  all tuberculosis (TB) cases by 2025,
- b) Whether  the  number  of  tuberculosis  cases  have  enhanced  after  the  COVID-19 pandemic,  if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  the  study  conducted,  if  any,  in  this regard to assess the same,
- c) Whether the Government has undertaken any special step to manage the TB crisis in the  country  amidst  the  pandemic  and  rising  malnutrition  cases,  if  so,  the  details thereof,
- d) Whether  the  Government  has  issued  advisory  to  State/UTs  to  conduct  tuberculosis test on patients having continued symptoms of cough after the COVID-19 disease, if so, the details thereof, and
- e) Whether the Government proposes to encourage women's participation in elimination of  TB  by  training  and  engaging  more  women  to  work  at  health  facilities  in  the State/UT engage to take a lead in the fight against TB, if so, the details thereof and steps being taken in this regard?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## (DR. BHARATI PRAVIN PAWAR)

- a) &  (b)  The  Government  has  made  steady  progress  towards  achieving  the  target  for elimination  of  Tuberculosis  (TB)  across  the  country  by  2025.  As  per  the  Global  TB Report, 2021 by the World Health Organization, the TB Incidence in India has reduced from 217/lakh population in 2015 to 188/lakh population in 2020.

The  number  of  TB  cases  reported  under  the  National  TB  Elimination  programme  are  as under:

|   Year |   Number of TB Notifications (In lakhs) |
|--------|-----------------------------------------|
|   2019 |                                   24.04 |
|   2020 |                                   18.05 |
|   2021 |                                   21.38 |

- c) Government has taken the following steps during the pandemic:
- i. Provision of free TB drugs of extended duration and door-step delivery Guidance on ensuring uninterrupted functioning of TB diagnostic laboratories.
- ii. Issuing  advisories  to  States  and  districts  to  ensure  uninterrupted  services  during COVID-19
- iii. Guidance  for  Bi-directional  TB-COVID  screening  and  screening  of  TB  among ILI/SARI cases issued to State/UTs.
- iv. Multiple reviews with State Government to monitor progress in implementation of National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP).
- d) Government has issued an advisory to State/UTs to screen all COVID patients for TB if they  have  continued  symptoms  of  cough  after  COVID-19  disease.  The  same  may  be accessed at the following link:

https://www.mohfw.gov.in/pdf/ClinicalGuidanceforManagementofAdultCovid19Patients updatedason17thJanuary2022.pdf

- e) The Ministry has released a National Framework for a gender-responsive approach to TB in  India.  In  addition,  training  package  has  been  developed  for  training  community volunteers  and  TB  survivors  as  TB  champions,  in  which  women  participation  is encouraged.