India accounts for 27 percent of the total TB cases in the world, according to the recently released Global TB Report 2023 by the World Health Organisation. Almost 28.2 lakh people in India got tuberculosis in 2022 with an estimated incidence rate of 199 cases per 100,000 population. India has set a target of eliminating tuberculosis by 2025 and the national strategic plan 2017-2025 sets the target to not more than 44 new TB cases per lakh population by 2025. There is a higher inclination of the TB patients to undergo treatment from the public places.
With this backdrop, SIGMA Foundation in association with SFCSDF is conducting a study across 10 Chest Clinics of Kolkata and their sub units with patients seeking treatment for tuberculosis from these clinics. The study has commenced from 11th December, 2023 and is expected to continue till the end of this month. The study titled “Understanding the status of Tuberculosis and its associated factors in Kolkata, West Bengal” will identify socio-economic, household and behavioural factors other than contextual factors associated with TB prevalence. It will also delineate the treatment pathways (health seeking behaviour, knowledge level, treatment adherence etc.) of the patients in addition to cost factors, Quality of life, stigma and challenges faced in day-to day life.