NEW TREATMENT REGIMEN FOR DRUG-RESISTANT TB IN INDIA

Source: Hindu

Disclaimer: Copyright infringement not intended.

Context

The Union Health Ministry has approved the introduction of a new shorter and more efficacious treatment regimen for drug-resistant TB in India.

Details

About BPaLM regimen 

• This new treatment approach, consisting of Bedaquiline, Pretomanid, Linezolid, and Moxifloxacin, is set to transform the treatment landscape for Multi-Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB).
• The BPaLM regimen aligns with the government’s vision, announced by Prime Minister Modi at the Delhi End TB Summit in 2018.
• The introduction of the BPaLM regimen is expected to significantly bolster India’s TB elimination efforts, particularly for the estimated 75,000 drug-resistant TB patients.

Key Features

• Shorter Duration: The BPaLM regimen reduces the treatment time from the traditional 20-month period to just six months.
• Higher Efficacy: The regimen has a higher success rate in curing drug-resistant TB compared to previous treatments.
• Cost-Effective: By shortening the treatment duration and reducing the associated medical costs, this regimen is a more economical option.
• Safer with Fewer Side Effects: Patients experience fewer severe side effects compared to traditional MDR-TB treatments, improving overall compliance.
• Integration: The Ni-kshay 2.0 portal, Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (PMTBMBA)and the Ni-kshay Mitra initiative, will play a pivotal role in supporting patients through:
• nutritional and vocational assistance,
• capacity building of health professionals,
•  ensuring community involvement, and 
• leveraging Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) opportunities.

Background 

• This initiative is part of India's broader efforts under the National TB Elimination Program (NTEP).
• NTEP aims to eliminate TB by 2025, five years ahead of the global target under SDGs.

TYPES OF DRUG-RESISTANT TB Mono-resistance: resistance to one first-line anti-TB drug only Poly-resistance: resistance to more than one first-line anti-TB drug, other than both isoniazid and rifampicin Multidrug resistance (MDR): resistance to at least both isoniazid and rifampicin Extensive drug resistance (XDR): resistance to any fluoroquinolone, and at least one of three second-line injectable drugs (capreomycin, kanamycin and amikacin), in addition to multidrug resistance Rifampicin resistance (RR): resistance to rifampicin detected using phenotypic or genotypic methods, with or without resistance to other anti-TB drugs. It includes any resistance to rifampicin, in the form of mono-resistance, poly-resistance, MDR or XDR.

Read about Tuberculosis:  

https://www.iasgyan.in/daily-current-affairs/tb

Read about TB Report 2024:  

https://www.iasgyan.in/daily-current-affairs/india-tb-report-2024

Read about World Tuberculosis Day:  

https://www.iasgyan.in/daily-current-affairs/world-tb-day-47

Sources: 

IndianExpress

PRACTICE QUESTION Q: Consider the following statements regarding Tuberculosis (TB): 1. Extrapulmonary TB is the one in which bacteria are in the body but not causing symptoms. 2. Koch's bacillus is the causative agent of tuberculosis. Which of the above statements is/are correct? a) 1 only b) 2 only c) Both 1 and 2 d) Neither 1 nor 2   Answer: b)  Explanation: 1st statement is incorrect: There are three main types of TB: pulmonary TB (affecting the lungs), extrapulmonary TB (affecting other parts of the body), and latent TB (when the bacteria are in the body but not causing symptoms). 2nd statement is correct:  Mycobacterium tuberculosis, also known as Koch's bacillus, is a species of pathogenic bacteria in the family Mycobacteriaceae and the causative agent of tuberculosis. First discovered in 1882 by Robert Koch, M. tuberculosis has an unusual, waxy coating on its cell surface primarily due to the presence of mycolic acid.