MYCOBACTERIUM TUBERCULOSIS

 In Pakistan, We're Getting Closer to Eliminating Tuberculosis: How Will COVID-19 Affect the Eradication Mission?

COVID-19 & TUBERCULOSIS

Since 2020, Pakistan, like the rest of the world, has been dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic, which has thrown the entire global healthcare system into disarray. This pandemic has not only shattered current healthcare systems but has also effectively shattered the progress made by certain medical institutions by discouraging them from their goals of eradicating specific diseases and conditions.

Covid-19 has hampered the diagnosis of infectious diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis (TB), and malaria. Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the most serious public health issues in Pakistan. It is responsible for roughly one-third of all TB cases worldwide. Pakistan has set a goal of eradicating the disease by 2030, while hospitals concentrated on Covid-care, the pandemic disrupted care and disease diagnosis.

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TUBERCULOSIS DISEASE BURDEN IN PAKISTAN: 

Pakistan has the world's fifth-highest number of people falling ill with tuberculosis each year, with 562,000 cases diagnosed in 2018.

Only India, Indonesia, China, and the Philippines have a higher number of cases. While the Eastern Mediterranean accounts for only 8% of the global burden, Pakistan accounts for 75% of it. However, only 369,000 cases were notified in 2018, leaving 193,000 – more than one-third – unmodified. This was particularly true of the elderly and men. These "missing cases" could have been diagnosed and treated in the private sector (but not notified), or they could have gone without treatment at all, spreading the disease to their families and loved ones.

LINKAGES OF COVID& TB

While most large Asian countries are seeing significant drops in TB incidence, Pakistan's estimated TB incidence has been static for 20 years, which means that the number of cases is increasing every year due to Pakistan's rapid population growth.

According to WHO, 44,000 Pakistani citizens died from tuberculosis in 2018, the highest number of any infectious disease. Tuberculosis is the seventh leading cause of death in Pakistan, trailing only the major causes of death in infants and children and ischemic heart disease.

TUBERCULOSIS SYMPTOMS

Misdiagnosis Makes TB the Second Worst Infectious Disease

Tuberculosis was the worst hit of all the diseases whose eradication efforts were derailed. Some countries have seen significant setbacks in their efforts to eliminate tuberculosis (TB) by 2020 as a result of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Pakistan Also has borne the brunt of the damage.  It is the world's deadliest infectious disease after Covid-19. Tuberculosis is curable and preventable if detected correctly and as early as possible. Misdiagnoses, on the other hand, remain a major problem.

Tuberculosis is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which typically infects the lungs. When people with lung tuberculosis cough or sneeze, germs are propelled into the air and transported in tiny droplets. A person could become infected by inhaling just a few of these germs.

Despite advances in TB screening and diagnosis technology in recent decades, many people remain undiagnosed. According to the reports, the greatest impact was seen in case diagnosis and detection. Due to the limited availability of diagnostic facilities as a result of the pandemic and the various restrictions imposed to contain the disease, a large number of cases went undiagnosed and unreported. Because of the significant decrease in TB case diagnoses in 2020 compared to previous years, the gap between the number of people diagnosed and the number of new people diagnosed widened significantly beginning in 2020.

MISDIAGNOSIS ABOUT TB 

The Importance of Eliminating Tuberculosis in Pakistan

TB was one of the leading causes of death in the world until 2020. Due to massive setbacks, it is now expected to be the second leading cause, only after COVID-19. According to reports, the number of people diagnosed with drug-resistant tuberculosis who received treatment fell by 15% in 2020 when compared to the previous year. MDR-TB and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis cases, on the other hand, have remained stable.

Drug resistance develops when anti-TB drugs are administered incorrectly. It can also happen if people are given low-quality medications or if they discontinue their treatment too soon. MDR-TB is a type of tuberculosis caused by microorganisms that are resistant to the most commonly used first-line anti-TB medications. According to the WHO, it is still treatable and curable with second-line therapy medications.

According to the WHO, interruptions in TB treatment caused by Covid-19 could result in an additional half-million TB deaths. Even today, the majority of people are unaware of the scope of the tuberculosis epidemic. To truly eliminate tuberculosis in Pakistan by 2030, epidemiologists recommend increasing early detection through the use of low-cost diagnostics. Most importantly, people living in low-income areas should have free access to TB treatment, counseling, and care.

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Very Special Thanks to the Provincial TB Control Program Punjab for their technical input and support while writing this blog.