Mizoram Faces Rise in in Tuberculosis; 108 Succumbed to Disease in 2023

Mizoram health authorities revealed on Wednesday that tuberculosis claimed the lives of 108 individuals within the state last year. According to officials, out of the 17,432 individuals who underwent blood testing, 2,272 were diagnosed with TB.

Among the 2,272 patients diagnosed with tuberculosis, officials reported that 164 were identified as suffering from multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). They further stated that 86 percent of the patients underwent successful treatment, while tragically, 108 individuals succumbed to the disease.

Between January and March of this year, health officials disclosed that 595 individuals have been diagnosed with tuberculosis out of 3,761 samples tested. Among them, 38 cases were identified as multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), and 57 individuals were found to be suffering from both tuberculosis and HIV-AIDS. Additionally, officials noted that 6 percent of the patients were diabetic, 33 percent were tobacco users, and 16 percent were alcohol consumers. Notably, Aizawl district reported the highest number of TB cases this year, with 433 cases, followed by Kolasib district with 46 cases and Lunglei district with 34 cases.

West Mizoram's Mamit district recorded the least TB cases at five. Only 187 people in the state have registered to adopt TB patients or donate for them through the 'Nikshay' platform under the PM TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan. In September 2022, President Droupadi Murmu launched an initiative aimed at bolstering community engagement to help India achieve its goal of ending tuberculosis by 2025, surpassing the global target of 2030.