TB diagnosed incident cases India 2020, by gender and age

In 2020, the age distribution of TB diagnosed incident cases reflected a prevalence among the adolescent and young adult age groups. This ranges typically from age 15 to 30 years, also indicating an ongoing disease transmission. Among the men, the age group with the least prevalence of TB diagnosed incident cases was from 0-14 years while among females it was 60 years and older.

Epidemiology

With an increasing population of over 1.3 billion, the burden of disease in India is on the rise. Tuberculosis (TB) has been one of India’s major public health concerns. According to an estimate by the WHO, India belongs to the few countries with the largest TB epidemic in the world. One of the key concerns for the country has been relative to totally drug resistant TB (TDR-TB). TDR-TB alludes to tuberculosis strains that are resistant to a wider range of drugs including most second line drugs, than the extensive drug-resistant tuberculosis.

TB and co-morbidities

The likelihood of people living with HIV and contracting TB is exponential. De facto, TB is the most common illness contracted among people living with HIV. Other co-morbidities that are common and associated with TB are diabetes and tobacco smoking which has relatively high consumption rates in north India. In terms of TB and the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, both are diseases that majorly cause deleterious effects to the patient’s lungs. Both present with similar symptoms, however, TB has a longer incubation period and slower onset. A person with TB or both illnesses generally presents with poorer treatment outcomes.