Early detection of TB necessary: AP Public Heath Secretary

More than three million TB cases go unreported and of these one million are from India, Andhra Pradesh's Principal Secretary of Public Health Ajay Sawhney said here today, stressing the need for early detection and treatment.
He was speaking at an event organised by the office of the Joint Director, TB, and the State TB Control Society here on the occasion of World TB Day.
There is a need to have early detection and initiation of the treatment so that the number of tuberculosis cases can be brought down, he said.
He also expressed concern about prevalence of serological (blood-based) test for TB diagnosis, which has been banned by the Government of India.

Sputum test is the only test accepted by the World Health Organisation and the government, he added. However, some private diagnostic centres and pharma companies were prescribing the blood test, he said.
Former TB patients who have recovered fully were felicitated on this occasion.
Rani Samyuktha, Joint Director TB, said there were 1,03,000 TB patients in Andhra Pradesh at present.