Pics: Abhijith N Kolpe

Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (ANK)

Mangaluru, Mar 24: The district administration, district zilla panchayat, district health and family welfare department, and district TB control office in association with AJ Medical College observed World TB Day 2023 here at AJ Medical College on Friday March 24.

Director AJ Hospital and Research Centre Dr Prashanth Marla inaugurated the World TB Day 2023 event.

Addressing the gathering, Dr Prashanth Marla said, “TB is a curable disease. Whenever a person is diagnosed with TB, the family is not ready to accept the patient. Post-Covid, TB cases have increased. We need to give courage to the patients as it is curable.”

District medical officer Wenlock hospital Dr Sadashiv Shanbaugh said, “Nearly 40% of people are suffering from TB. We have a global target to eliminate TB by 2025.”

District TB officer Dr Badruddin MN said, “HIV TB and MDR TB are very challenging. The disease is curable. We have been constantly conducting awareness events over TB and also introduced the RNTCP programme in 2023.”

Dean AJ Institute of Medical Science Dr Ashok Hegde, HOD community medicine AJ Institute of Medical Sciences Dr Sanjeev Badiger, district health officer Dr Kishore Kumar, HOD pulmonary medicine AJ Hospital Dr Vishnu Sharma, Dr Sharath Babu and others were present.

In 2018, as many as 3256 cases of TB in public and private sector, 3439 in 2019, 2472 in 2020, 2438 in 2021, 2964 in 2022 and 513 cases have been detected till date in 2023.

Seven hospitals registered under STEPS (System for TB Elimination in Private Sector) programme introduced in October 2021 to provide treatment facilities for TB under one roof.

Every six months, a programme is lined up to trace TB cases by indentifying vulnerable population. Free check up at health centres and also free treatment is given at the community health centres for TB.