The pharma industry’s role in the goal to end TB by 2025

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the oldest and deadliest diseases that still exist in the world today. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2021, India accounted for about 27% of the global TB burden. TB is a contagious airborne disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It primarily affects the lungs, but can also target other parts of the body such as the brain, kidneys, and spine.

The impact and burden of tuberculosis in India are massive. It is estimated that there are around 2.7 million cases of TB in India, out of which only 1.8 million were reported to the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP) in 2019. This translates into around 900,000 missing cases, which are unreported or not diagnosed, leading to higher mortality rates. Patients who are not diagnosed on time or cannot afford treatment often become drug-resistant, making it a more challenging disease to combat. TB also affects India’s economy by pushing families into poverty and inducing a loss in productivity of the afflicted individuals.

The pharma industry has been working diligently to reduce mortality rates and help eliminate TB globally. As per the WHO Global TB Report 2020, pharmaceutical companies are investing in research and development to create better TB drugs and vaccines. Additionally, shorter treatment regimens have been introduced, ensuring better compliance by patients.

Indian pharma companies have also been contributing towards NTEP. They have been producing high-quality TB drugs and making them readily available at an affordable price to the common public. Furthermore, Indian pharma companies have also been focusing on R&D to create new TB medicinal solutions. Encouragingly, there have been many successful collaborations between government and pharmaceutical companies that have helped in controlling the spread of TB in India.

The progress of the pharma industry towards reducing TB incidence and mortality is commendable. In 2015, the Government of India launched the National Strategic Plan (NSP) for Tuberculosis (TB) elimination. The goal of the NSP is to make the country free of TB by 2025, five years ahead of the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations. The WHO Global TB Report 2022 has highlighted the country’s progress, stating that India has performed far better on major metrics compared to other countries over the years.

According to the WHO Global TB Report 2022, India’s TB incidence for the year 2021 is 210 per 100,000 population, an 18% decline compared to the baseline year of 2015 (when the incidence was 256 per lakh of population in India). This 18% decline is seven percentage points better than the global average of 11%. These positive results can be attributed to various factors, including increased awareness about TB, better-quality medications, improved access to medical facilities, and the efficient functioning of the NTEP.

Despite these positive outcomes, there is still much more to be done to eliminate TB from India and the world. The next two years of NTEP are crucial as the country aims to eliminate TB by 2025. The pharma industry must work in tandem with the government to ensure that quality drugs are easily accessible at affordable prices. The industry must also focus on increasing funding for research to develop better and more effective TB drugs and vaccines. Moreover, there is a significant need to educate the public, especially those living in urban slums and rural areas, about TB prevention and early diagnosis. The government, pharmaceutical companies, health professionals, and communities must all come together to combat this disease.

In conclusion, TB continues to pose a significant challenge for India and the world. The progress made so far is commendable, and it is heartening to see that India is far ahead on most TB-related metrics. However, much needs to be done in the next two years to eliminate TB from India and meet the goal set by the NTEP. With the pharma industry’s continued support, research, and development, we can hope for a more effective, affordable, and accessible TB drug regimen. It requires a collaborative effort from all stakeholders to eradicate TB from the face of the earth, and India is on the right track to achieving this.

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Views expressed above are the author’s own.

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