For the past few centuries, tuberculosis has been the leading infectious disease in terms of morbidity and mortality. According to the data of the World Health Organization, based on the World TB Report, 64 percent of the world's TB patients are found in seven countries namely India, Indonesia, China, Philippines, Nigeria, Pakistan and South Africa, and India ranks highest among them.
India recorded the highest number of cases of tuberculosis (TB) in 2022, according to the World Health Organization's Global TB Report 2023. 27 per cent of the total tuberculosis patients in the world are in this country.
Tuberculosis is a serious problem in India and it is truly a tragedy in the medical field that even after more than 70 years of India's independence, such a large number of patients have been diagnosed with an infectious disease.
Maharashtra, with a population of over 12 crores, has more than two and a half lakh TB patients. Of these, nearly 1 lakh seek treatment from private doctors and the rest from state and municipal-run health units.
Apart from this, the number of tuberculosis patients in small villages and remote areas is not included. Due to the fact that the society is still not talking freely about tuberculosis, the death rate has increased. Every minute one person dies due to tuberculosis in the world and India has the highest rate globally.
Giving more information about this, Dr. Parthiv Shah, Chest Physician (Pulmonologist) from Apex group of Hospitals Mumbai, says, "Tuberculosis germs (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) are microscopic germs that are present in the respiratory secretions of infectious (sputum-infected) tuberculosis patients. It mixes with the air outside and enters the body of other persons through inhalation. Because we have open spitting that is universal and accepted, germs spread easily. Whether or not a person develops tuberculosis after being infected with tuberculosis depends on the person's physical condition and nutrition. If the immune system is good, the disease does not occur even after infection. But if immunity is low, tuberculosis can develop immediately or after some time."
"The tendency to hide TB (tuberculosis) even today is found among educated and uneducated citizens. Public unsanitary conditions such as spitting, lack of sunlight in the house due to dense settlements, poor condition of public toilets are many factors that contribute to the problem of tuberculosis. It is a fact that the increase in tuberculosis in any country means increased poverty, malnutrition, economic disparity, poor industrialization and urbanization in that country," he added.
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