'Axshya Plus' project a joint initiative on Tuberculosis Preventive Treatment launched in Guwahati

GUWAHATI: The 'Axshya Plus' project, a joint initiative on Tuberculosis (TB) Preventive Treatment implemented by The International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) and the National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP), Government of Assam was ceremonially launched here on Wednesday.

Delivering the keynote address of the programme, Dr Lakshmanan S, Managing Director, National Health Mission (NHM), Assam put stress on the preventive therapy for latent TB infection for eliminating the disease.

"Latent TB infection can be with anybody. It can be with me and you also. So to eliminate TB, prevention of latent TB infection in very important. We have the target to eliminate TB by 2025 and to achieve this preventive therapy for close associates of the active TB patients will be very important," Dr Lakshmanan said.

India is a country with one of the highest estimated burdens of tuberculosis infection (TBI) globally. There are nearly 35-40 crores Indian population having TBI, of which 26 lacks people develop tuberculosis (TB) disease annually. Several studies have shown that, on average, 5-10% of latently infected people will develop TB disease over the course of their lives, usually within the first 2 years after initial infection. It is found that overall 71% of household contacts of active TB patients have TB infection and 2% household contacts developed TB disease within their lifetime. Therefore, it becomes very crucial to find and treat TB infection along with the TB active cases amongst the high risk groups to end TB.

Dr. Lakshmanan said the real challenge to initiate TB preventive treatment upon the household contacts is to convince them to take the treatment who are without having any symptoms.

"It is very hard to convince the household contacts of the active TB patients, as they are not patients, however, we have to properly counsel them that they are at high risk and can develop the TB disease anytime," he said.

Prevention of TB diseases by treatment of TBI is a critical component of the National Strategic Plan 2017-25 for Ending TB (NSP) in India by 2025.

The project Axshya Plus is currently being implemented in two districts of Assam, Kamrup and Kamrup (metro).

As per the recommendation of the CTD & WHO, TPT to all household contacts of Pulmonary TB patients is the most effective way to prevent the TB disease. Scaling up TPT would be key to hasten the decline in the rate of TB incidence in Assam.

The project launch ceremony was attended by Dr Rathindra Nath Bhuyan, Director of Health Services, Govt. of Assam, Dr. N J Das, Additional Director cum State Programme Officer, NTEP, Assam, Dr Bharati Kalottee, Project Director, Axshya Plus from The Union as guest of honours.

The family members of two active TB patients of Kamrup (metro) district were ceremonially handed over TB preventive medicines by Dr Rathindra Bhuyan, Director Health Services.

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