Former Chief Scientist of the World Health Organization and former Deputy Director-General Dr Soumya Swaminathan today called for the development of new vaccines against tuberculosis (TB), because “only with vaccines can you control the disease”.
Delivering the ’25th Year Lecture’ on the occasion of 25 th The commemoration year of REACH, a non-profit organization working towards a ‘TB-free India’, Dr Swaminathan observed that the existing TB vaccine – BCG – was a century old.
They expressed dismay at the continued spread of the disease, as a recent poll showed. Today, there are 300 confirmed TB patients for every 100,000 people – the same as in 1991. “We should think about why we haven’t been able to break through,” she said.
Calling for a ‘science-based approach’ towards TB control, he called for more widespread use of X-ray machines, especially since there are hand-held X-ray machines today. X-ray machines, while not specific, are very sensitive and can pick up on lesions.
Dr. Swaminathan also said that access to molecular tests should be increased. He observed that around 900 million RT-PCR tests could be conducted in India during the COVID-19 pandemic. If it was possible in such a short time then why not for TB?
She noticed that another disease—anemia—doesn’t “go away” for decades. Recalling the words of Albert Einstein that doing the same thing over and over again cannot produce different results, Swaminathan said that ‘health’ should be looked at holistically – including health education, health of the mother, nutrition etc. are included.
He also stressed that the government should better regulate the food industry (so as to discourage high-fat foods, etc.).
Emphasizing equality (as opposed to equality) in healthcare, Swaminathan said, “Our vision for 2047 is to achieve equality in health and education”.
Earlier, introducing Swaminathan to the audience, N Ram, director of The Hindu Publishing Group, praised her “outstanding contribution” to COVID-19 containment when she was with WHO. He also said that his lectures and speeches were “a model of clarity in communication”.
Tamil Nadu Initiative
Tamil Nadu Health Minister, Ma Subramanian, who was the chief guest of the function, spoke about the state government’s efforts towards making the state “TB-free by 2025”, which included ‘ Veedu Theedi Maruthuvam‘ (or at the healthcare home).
He said the government had procured 28 vehicles equipped with digital X-ray equipment for ₹13 crore last year. By using these, TB has been identified in 96,500 people so far and medicines were given to them.
REACH (Resource Group for Education, Advocacy and Community Health), was established in 1998-99 by prominent scientists and experts from Chennai, led by eminent agronomist and former Rajya Sabha member Professor MS Swaminathan. Dr. Nalini Krishnan, Director of The Hindu Publishing Group, is its Executive Secretary. Pointing out that TB “still remains a challenge”, Dr Krishnan said that now is “the best time in the history of TB control to redirect, change our approach and achieve our common goal of creating a TB-free world”. ”
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Reach also enlists ‘TB champions’ – people who have been cured of TB – to play a role in advocacy, primarily to address the stigma associated with TB. At the function today, Ms. Poonakodi, TB Champion, Vellore said that the disease can indeed be completely cured in six months.