Gaurav Saigal
TUBERCULOSIS IS catching people in their most productive age (15-34 years) in Uttar Pradesh.
Majority cases registered for treatment in past one year fall in this age group even as the state has total coverage of TB treatment under the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP).
The total number of new patients registered in one past year after sputum test was 1,19,944. Majority, 53,871 cases were in the 15-34 year age bracket.
Males have outnumbered females in the tally of patients for UP prepared under RNTCP.
In the 15-24 year age group there were 26,724 new cases while 27,147 cases were in the 25-34 years age group. Experts say this has a direct link with the poor immunity levels among youths.
Chairman of the State Task Force on RNTCP Dr Rajendra Prasad said, “More youths in the list of new cases means youths in the state are not strong enough to combat TB bacteria. It is unfortunate as youth who develop TB suffer socio-economic loss in most productive span of life, especially if left untreated.”
Alarmingly 3,296 new patients registered across the state were below 14 years of age group.
TB bacteria are normally present in human body but the strong immunity levels keeps the bacteria suppressed. Whenever immunity gets low TB bacteria overpowers weak immune and thereby develops the disease in the body, Dr Prasad said.
As far as the target for detection of new cases and maintaining cue rate is concerned UP is ahead of the target. The target is to maintain cure rate of 85 per cent in new patients and UP's performance is above the given target, said State TB Officer (STO) DK Jain.
India is the highest TB burden country, globally accounting for one fifth of bacteriologically proven TB incidence.
TB is an infectious disease caused by a bacterium, Mycobacterium tuberculosis and it spreads through the air by an infected TB patient. TB is treatable but if patient is left untreated, a single patient can infect more than 10 people in a year by coughing.
gauravsaigal1@rediffmail.com
TB cases (new) in age group in last one year
0-14 - 3296
15-24 - 26724
25-34 - 27147
35-44 - 23772
45-54 - 17659
55-64 - 13997
above 65 - 7349
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