Delhi best in detecting TB cases in last four years

In the past four years, Delhi has had the best tuberculosis detection record under the Directly Observed Treatment Shortcourse (DOTS) Plus initiative in the country, reports Jaya Shroff Bhalla.

In the past four years, Delhi has had the best tuberculosis detection record under the Directly Observed Treatment Shortcourse (DOTS) Plus initiative in the country.

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Latest statistics show that the case detection rate of new infectious patients in 2009 (93 per cent) has gone up by eight per cent since 2005 (85 per cent).

The international standard for detection is 75 per cent, which has been achieved in the entire country.

Tuberculosis prevalence in Delhi is 250 per lakh, with total 45,000 positive cases, in a population of 178 lakh.

While the cure rate of new smear positive has remained constant in the last five years, the deaths have gone down from 2.3 per cent to 2 per cent.

There are 24 district TB Centres, with 188 Microscopy Centres and more than 565 DOT Centres, to treat a population of around 176 lakh.

Delhi is the only fully-covered state under the DOTS Plus programme, which has been treating the most number of paediatric cases.

Statistics show that of all new cases, Delhi receives 14 per cent paediatric cases, against six per cent of all-India figures.

“More than 40 per cent of Delhi population is infected with TB bacteria, 10 per cent of whom will develop TB in their lifetime,” said Dr R. K. Mehra, chief medical officer, chest clinic, Gulabi Bagh.

“Malnutrition, diseases like HIV, uncontrolled diabetes and lifestyle problems like alcoholism and smoking are factors that increase risk,” he added.

According to Dr. Mehra, the population most vulnerable to the infection is migrants.

“For Delhi clinics, successful treatment of migrants is a challenge, as TB medicines have to be taken regularly for a period of about six-eight months,” he added.