A recently conducted study has revealed that more than 500 cases of tuberculosis meningitis (TBM) or brain TB have been recorded in the State in the first eleven months of 2016. A field study on the prevalence and challenges in the management of TBM was undertaken by city-based NGO Helping Hand Foundation, which released the findings on Thursday.
According to the report, most of the cases were detected in private hospitals. The number of male patients and female patients was 232 and 210 respectively. The majority of the patients were found to be aged above 30 years.
B. Ranga Reddy, president, Infection Control Academy of India (IFCAI), and advisor, Public Health Foundation of India, stressed on the need for more awareness about the medical condition, and appealed to the policy-makers to initiate steps towards its detection at early stages and effective treatment. He also cautioned that MDR (multi drug resistance) and AMR (anti-microbial resistance) are a major issue in the country which can cost trillions of dollars to the government if preventive steps were not taken.
Reduce the unnecessary usage of antibiotics in agriculture and livestock and promote newer and rapid diagnosis to render treatment in a focused manner, Mr. Reddy said.
Mujtaba Hasan Askari, founder-trustee of the foundation, said, “It is time that the civil society and the medical fraternity take up the fight against TB and mount pressure on the health authorities. Our NGO has been working for the welfare of TB, MDR TB, and HIV patients for a long time now. We see four to five cases of TB and HIV in Hyderabad each month, and the patients basically approach us for financial assistance.”
He complained that though they had filed an RTI application with the State Chest Hospital on TB cases, they did not get a reply even after 60 days.
