Nagaland among ‘best performing’ states in Annual TB report 2020

Morung Express News
Dimapur | June 24

Nagaland was listed among the ‘best-performing’ states in the category of states having less than 50 lakh population for its performance in the eradication of tuberculosis (TB). 

This was stated in the Annual TB (Tuberculosis) Report 2020 which was launched by Union Health Minister, Dr Harsh Vardhan and Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Ashwini Kumar Choubey on June 24 through video conferencing.

According to the report, India notified the highest number of 24.04 lakh tuberculosis cases last year as against an estimated 26.9 lakh cases by WHO, indicating that around three lakh patients missed out from the national TB programme.

The India TB Report 2020 stated that 79,144 deaths due to tuberculosis were reported in 2019, which is lower than the WHO estimate of 4.4 lakh fatalities.

Launching the annual report, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan commended the collective efforts of all involved in the task, and said the government was committed to eliminating tuberculosis from the country by 2025, five years ahead of the global target.

To align with the ambitious goal, the programme has been renamed from Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme to National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme, he said.

On the basis of the score in State TB Index, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh were the top three best-performing states for tuberculosis control under the category of states with 50 lakh population.

Tripura and Nagaland were best-performing in the category of states having less than 50 lakh population. Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Daman and Diu were selected as the best performing Union Territories.

“The ranking will surely encourage all states and UTs to improve their performance to attain their targets. Early accurate diagnosis followed by prompt appropriate treatment is vital for ending TB. The National TB Elimination Programme has expanded both the laboratory network as well as diagnostic facilities to cover the entire country,” Vardhan said.

About the stigma attached to TB patients in the country, Vardhan said, “We as a nation, need to come together to fight tuberculosis and the stigma surrounding it so that every TB patient can seek care with dignity and without discrimination. The community must act as a wellspring of support and comfort for a patient.”

He underscored the crucial contribution the private sector can make to the national TB programme by mandatory tuberculosis notification and providing quality care.

The salient feature of this year is that for the first time Central TB Division (CTD) introduced a quarterly ranking on TB elimination efforts by all the states and UTs.

Treatment linkage of drug-resistant TB patients, HIV testing of tuberculosis patients, nutritional assistance to in the form of NIKSHAY Poshan Yojana (DBT), Universal Drug Susceptibility Testing coverage among notified patients, TB Preventive Therapy coverage and financial expenditure are included in the assessment criteria, the Union Health Minister said.

CM Rio lauds NHM Nagaland
 

The Chief Minister of Nagaland has lauded the National Health Mission (NHM), Nagaland for coming 2nd in the Best Performing Small State category under the National TB Elimination Program.

“Congratulations to the Mission Director, State Program Officer & staff of @NagalandNhm on coming 2nd for Best Performing Small State under National TB Elimination Program in the year 2019,” Rio conveyed in a message on Twitter.  

“I laud their commendable work towards TB diagnosis and treatment in the state,” he added.