Advocates call for the immediate scale up of rapid, cartridge-based nucleic acid amplification tests, such as GeneXpert MTB/RIF, to detect TB disease and rifampicin resistance.
On September 15, 2015 organizations, associations, and individuals working with people and communities affected by tuberculosis (TB) sent an open letter to the Indian Minister of Health & Family Welfare calling for the immediate scale up of rapid, cartridge-based nucleic acid amplification tests to detect TB disease and rifampicin resistance. These tests, such as GeneXpert MTB/RIF, can improve detection for TB disease, DR-TB, and TB/HIV coinfection. Xpert MTB/RIF simultaneously detects TB and resistance to rifampicin in just two hours, and is to date the only WHO-endorsed cartridge based nucleic acid amplification based test.
India has the largest burden of TB in the world, with an estimated 2.6 million people living with TB in the country, as well as a high burden drug-resistant TB (DR-TB) and TB/HIV co-infection. Yet according to a recently leaked draft report from the Joint Monitoring Mission (JMM) to India, only about 60% of TB cases are currently being detected in India. The leaked report highlights that TB case detection is one of the biggest challenges for India, with an estimated 1 million cases undiagnosed or not notified.
“Without concrete action for the procurement and systematic roll out of GeneXpert and cartridges, all the planning and revising of policies are meaningless, and TB—particularly among the most vulnerable, including children and people with HIV—will remain undetected and untreated.”
Therefore, TB advocates call on Indian Health Minister to bring the strong political commitment and resources necessary to hasten the roll out of GeneXpert testing in India.
In particular, the letter reiterates the recommendations of the JMM and requests the Central TB Division (CTD) and the Health Ministry to:
To download the open letter, click here.