Amid key victories in fight against TB, states face one battle: Shortage of drugs

Last month, the World Health Organisation highlighted two significant milestones in India’s fight against TB: an 18% dip in cases over the past 10 years, more than double the global rate; and a 24% reduction in deaths in the same period, higher than the global average of 23%.

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This frames the Government's 100-day intensive campaign beginning December 7 to enhance detection in select high-burden districts but these bright spots in the mission to eliminate TB by 2025 have a shadow: shortage in supply of key TB drugs since 2023, according to records investigated by The Indian Express.|ndia’s TB treatment schedule has two stages: a two-three month Intensive Phase (IP) marked by a combination tablet of four antibiotics, and Continuation Phase (CP), where a patient gets another combination medicine with three antibiotics for four to seven months.These are called fixed-dose combination (FDC) drugs. Data for 2022, 2023 and 2024 shows a progressive dip in the supply of FDC drugs from the Centre. For 2023, data shows a 56.5 per cent decline in the supply of drugs for the first phase (IP) compared to 2022; and a 23 percent drop for the second (CP) across the same period.

Supplies have improved in fits and starts but this year, data available until June shows, there was a 23.04 per cent dip in supply for the first phase, compared to the first six months of 2023, and a 28.8 per cent dip in supply for the second phase across the same period.Records show this prompted the Centre to send several letters to states on these delays urging local procurement. The key factors behind the shortfall: the nodal procurement agency cancelled nine of its 26 tenders to purchase these drugs due to “administrative reasons”; and, three suppliers were blacklisted for violations ranging from forged bank guarantees to faulty pricing.Amid key victories in fight against TB, states face one battle: Shortage of drugs

The Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare did not respond to a detailed questionnaire from The Indian Express