Coughing up for TB care

When responsibility is fixed and systems are in place, how do you explain a scarcity of life-saving anti-tuberculosis drugs? You don't.

ADVANCE FOR USE SUNDAY, NOV. 11, 2012 AND THEREAFTER - In this Monday, Oct. 22, 2012 photo, a tuberculosis patient is given medication at an Operation ASHA program center in New Delhi, India. Private companies, aid groups and the government have embarked on a flurry of innovation to modernize India's archaic anti-tuberculosis campaign and fight the spread of frightening new drug resistant strains threatening to cause a public health nightmare. (AP Photo/Kevin Frayer)

“We urge you to take immediate steps to address India’s repeated shortages of tuberculosis medicines. Despite clear warnings about impending drug stock-outs, the Ministry of Health and Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme are failing to act with the urgency and transparency needed to address the crisis. As a result, health centres may run out of first line, second line, and pediatric tuberculosis medicines. We urge you to intervene so that immediate measures are taken to restore supplies of these life-saving drugs.”“ It is totally untrue because we know children are not getting drugs, 1st and 2nd line drugs are also in danger of running out shortly.”“… is a statement that is not true. Just the day before we received a mail from WHO India giving us a clear picture. She[WHO India head] and Dr. Mario Raviglione were CCed on that mail which said, “There is stock out of pediatric TB drugs, rifampicin 150 and streptomycin. No stock out of first line drugs, but the existing stock will dry out in 3-4 months 2nd line –There is no stock out.”the Central TB Division (CTD)Drug resistant conditionsOne central procurement agencySupply Chain ManagementMycobacterium tuberculosis?