Enhancing India's Health Security Efforts Against Mycobacterium Tuberculosis : Gaps and Opportunities

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Infectious Diseases
• Global Health Security

Background:

• India shoulders a quarter of the global tuberculosis (TB) burden.
• The nation set an ambitious target to eliminate TB by 2025, surpassing the global goal.
• Despite public health initiatives like Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, progress is threatened by persistent challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight underaddressed health security challenges impacting TB elimination in India.
• To advocate for a revised TB elimination strategy aligned with the global 2030 target.
• To emphasize the need for evidence-based policy and multisectoral coordination.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing TB elimination strategies and their limitations in India.
• Identification of critical health security challenges, including multidrug-resistant TB and weak biosafety.
• Analysis of environmental and social determinants affecting TB control.

Main Results:

• Persistent challenges include data transparency issues, overburdened healthcare systems, and an unrealistic timeline.
• Underaddressed issues include multidrug-resistant TB, weak biosafety, lack of post-treatment monitoring, environmental factors, and inadequate strategies for vulnerable populations.
• Current strategies may not be sufficient to meet the ambitious 2025 elimination goal.

Conclusions:

• A revised approach to TB elimination is crucial for India.
• Key elements for success include evidence-based policy, improved surveillance, workforce support, and multisectoral coordination.
• Environmental and technological interventions are vital for comprehensive TB control and elimination.