Drive Away Tuberculosis from Our Nation

We all believe that Tuberculosis can be cured. Yes it can be cured! But the fact is also that the infection is spreading at a tremendous rate and taking several lives as well. Tuberculosis is considered as the second largest killer disease even today with so many National programs and norms being taken.

Why is it so?

There are quite a few reasons for the same…

•  Lack of Nutrition: poverty gives way for malnutrition which in turn reduces immunity. TB affects those with poor immunity.
• Old-fashioned Tuberculosis Program: same alternate day drug administration program is followed even now while the infection is cured only if the medications are given on an everyday basis.
• Ignorance and lack of support: the timings of administration of the drug are inconvenient as it is only in the morning hours. People prefer to skip the medicine and rather choose going for work. Nevertheless  the timings are also not changed looking at the negligence
• Drug resistance: most of the times the same medication is continued even knowing that the drug isn’t working for an individual. He/she could be a case of MDR TB (multi drug resistance TB) or sometimes could be a TDR TB (total drug resistance TB). If so an immediate action has to be taken and appropriate medicine has to be given. 

How to tackle TB

• Early detection: this would be a preliminary measure. If an individual suffers from cough more than 2 weeks is always suggested to get his tests done
• Get tested for Drug resistance: nowadays it is so possible that on the very first day one can come to know if it is a MDR OR TDR TB so that appropriate drug is only administered without delay
•  Improve Nutrition: so that natural immunity is developed
• Isolation during treatment: it is better if the person affected, himself maintains distance so that the infection is not passed onto another.

Tuberculosis infection to one person can mean an infection to all as the infection spreads at rapid rate. So on ‘’International Infection Prevention Week’’ let’s assume it to be a National Emergency and fight against it.