Promotion of Dietary Diversity to eradicate
Tuberculosis & Under-nutrition
Although,
the bidirectional linkage between under-nutrition and Tuberculosis and the role
of Nutrition as a remedy to this malady is well known, relatively little
attention has been given to innovating the implementable actions in India. This
proposal put forth to prove Nutrition Innovations (dietary diversity and functional foods) as an effective complimentary
remedy to the new oral drugs treatment in TB and to prevent the latent TB into
active diseases in the epidemic locations of Tamil Nadu state of India. It
proposes investment in Nutrition assessment, availability, awareness and
absorption through sustained research, education & communication programmes,
as well as promotion of Nutri
Kitchen Gardens, NutriFood Kits and Nutrition Surveillance
for the treatment, control and eradication of TB.
The Global Tuberculosis Report 2018 shows, in 2017 an estimated 1.7 million people died due to TB, and millions of people continue to fall sick with this dreadful disease each year. The severity of this national endemic reported very high in India, which leads the worst TB affected countries in the world. The National Strategic Plan (NSP) for Tuberculosis Elimination 2017-2025 reported an estimated 4,80,000 TB kills in India every year, and over a million ‘missing’ TB cases that are unnotified or undiagnosed.
Both the GTR 2018 and the NSP identified the importance of Nutrition in controlling TB. The GTR advocates thoughtfully planned Nutrition assistance that ensures availability and absorption of micro-nutrients and as a complimentary therapy to the new oral drugs for the greater treatment success. Studies concluded that raising the nutritional status of population may prove to be an effective measure to control TB in underdeveloped areas. Under-nutrition is a major public health challenge in Tamil Nadu, though it is relatively better vis-a-vis the country as a whole with high levels of stunting, underweight and anemia. With reference to TB, the records of the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Porgramme (RNTCP) show, 82055 cases were registered in the state in the year 2016 with an overall increase of 17 people per lakh from the previous year. There is rise in number of cases among children also reported.
The Nutrition A3 Programme is built on three pillars viz. Nutrition Assessment, Awareness and Assistance.
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