India, China account for 45 percent multi-drug resistant TB
By IANSFriday, August 27, 2010
NEW DELHI - India and China account for about 45 percent of Multi-Drug Resistant (MDR) TB cases globally, the Lok Sabha was informed Friday.
In a written reply, Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said as per Multi-Drug Extensively Drug Resistant TB 2010 Global Report on Surveillance and Response of World Health Organisation, it is estimated that India and China together account for about 45 percent of MDR TB cases globally.
He said in terms of numbers, out of 440,000 cases of MDR-TB occurring world over, India and China contribute an estimated 99,000 and 100,000 cases, respectively.
Azad said under the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme, DOTS plus services for the diagnosis and management of MDR-TB are presently available in 10 states and 2,300 MDR TB patients have been placed on treatment.
He also said that 10 laboratories have been accredited for quality assured culture and drug sensitivity testing.
The minister also said they are planning to provide the MDR TB services in all states and accreditation of 25 more laboratories by the end of 2010-11.
