TB in India: Challenges and Current Scenario
- TB remains a major public health issue in India, contributing to 28% of global TB cases.
- India sees ~5 lakh TB deaths annually, nearly one every minute.
- The National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP) aims for TB eradication by 2025, but progress is slow.
- India TB Report 2024 shows a 16% decline in TB incidence and 18% drop in TB-related deaths since 2015.
- Diagnostic challenges include difficulty in detecting early-stage TB, low bacillary load cases, and lack of accessible testing in rural areas.
Relevance :GS 2(Health)
African Giant Pouched Rats as TB Detectors
- APOPO, a Tanzania-based non-profit, trains HeroRATS to detect TB in sputum samples.
- These rats have highly sensitive olfactory receptors, enabling them to detect TB missed by traditional methods.
- Their use has improved TB diagnosis in Tanzania, Mozambique, and Ethiopia.
- Training process:
- Starts at 2-3 months old, lasts 9 months.
- Rats are rewarded for correctly identifying TB samples.
- Speed: Can test 100 samples in 20 minutes, compared to 3-4 days with conventional microscopy.
- A BMC Infectious Diseases study found that rats detected TB in children at twice the rate of conventional tests.
- Rats identified six times more cases in low bacillary load samples.
Disease Detection by Animals
- Dogs: Used to detect Parkinson’s disease through their strong olfactory sense.
- Ants: Found to detect cancer cells within three days using chemical cues (French study).
- Honeybees: Can detect lung cancer with 88% accuracy based on synthetic biomarkers.
Potential in India
- Indian TB specialists see potential in integrating HeroRATS as a secondary diagnostic tool.
- Key benefits: Cost-effectiveness, speed, and improved case detection in high-burden areas.
- Challenges:
- Requires NTEP approval and collaboration with APOPO.
- Feasibility needs assessment through phased trials in high-burden states.
- Some states like Maharashtra and Chandigarh are open to pilot projects if the Central TB Division takes the initiative.
Conclusion
- HeroRATS offer an innovative and promising approach to overcoming diagnostic challenges in TB detection.
- If implemented in India, they could accelerate diagnosis, reduce transmission, and support TB elimination goals.
- However, further feasibility studies and policy-level discussions are needed before nationwide adoption.
