WHO calls for urgent action as South-East Asia leads in tuberculosis burden
New Delhi (PTI): The South-East Asia region continues to carry a disproportionate share of the tuberculosis burden, one of the leading infectious diseases in the world, said a World Health Organisation (WHO) official said on Tuesday.
On the World TB Day, the WHO called for stronger national leaderships, sustained investment and continued engagement of communities and people to control the spread of the disease.
In a statement, Dr Catharina Boehme, officer-in-charge, WHO South-East Asia, said, "The region accounts for approximately 34 per cent of people developing the disease globally and nearly 40 per cent of deaths. In 2024 alone, an estimated 3.68 million people developed TB, and approximately 433,000 lives were lost, including 13,000 among people living with HIV."
This year's theme -- "Yes! We Can End TB" -- is a timely reminder that progress is within reach when political commitment, science and innovation, and community leadership come together, Dr Boehme said.
Since 2015, South-East Asia has achieved 23 per cent reduction in TB deaths, and 16 per cent decline in TB incidence, outpacing the global average decline of 12 per cent.
Treatment coverage has expanded significantly to more than 85 per cent, with over 3.1 million people initiating treatment in 2024. The member states continue to achieve treatment success rates above the global average, including for drug-resistant TB, while expanding preventive treatment for people living with HIV and household contacts, she said.
The national programmes are strengthening TB services, integrating them within primary health care and universal health coverage, and using data and innovation to reach those still being missed. These gains reflect the sustained efforts of governments, health workers, communities and partners across the region.
Nevertheless, the region remains off track to meet the "End TB" milestones.
Drug-resistant TB remains a serious challenge, with an estimated 150,000 MDR (multidrug-resistant tuberculosis) and RR-TB (Rifampicin-Resistant tuberculosis) cases each year in the region.
Socio-economic drivers continue to fuel transmission as undernutrition and diabetes are major risk factors, and 44 per cent of TB-affected households face catastrophic costs due to the disease.
To drive progress, the focus needs to be on accelerating the pace of decline in TB incidence and deaths, especially in high-burden settings, through integrated approaches embedded within primary health care to provide people-centred care, Boehme said.
There is a need to close the detection and treatment gaps through universal access, rapid diagnostics and shorter treatment regimens.
Boehme also stressed harnessing new technologies, including artificial intelligence, to expand access to quality care that leaves no one behind.
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3 officials of private banks arrested in Gujarat in Rs 2,500 crore cyber fraud; 20 held so far
Rajkot (PTI): Three officials of leading private banks were arrested for their alleged involvement in a Rs 2,500-crore cyber fraud racket in Gujarat's Rajkot district, bringing the number of those held so far in the case to 20, police said on Monday.
Those arrested were identified as Maulik Kamani, a personal manager at Yes Bank in Padadhari; Kalpesh Dangariya, a manager at Axis Bank in Jamnagar; and Anurag Baldha, a personal banker with HDFC Bank, Rajkot (Rural) Superintendent of Police Vijay Gurjar said.
Dangariya and Baldha were previously employed with Yes Bank, he added.
Kamani allegedly assisted the earlier arrested accused in opening and managing suspicious accounts. He also helped bypass banking alerts triggered by high-value transactions by submitting additional documentation to keep accounts active, the SP said.
Kamani was allegedly involved in cash withdrawals that were later routed through hawala channels (illegal money transfer system), supported by digital evidence recovered from his mobile device, he added.
Dangariya is accused of facilitating the opening of fraudulent accounts using fake or misrepresented identities, police said.
He also assisted in structuring documentation, including Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC)-related papers, to prevent transactions from being flagged as suspicious, they said.
On the other hand, Baldha opened new accounts after verification and certification processes as part of the racket, Gurjar informed.
All the three accused are in police custody, while others are in jail under judicial remand, SP said.
So far, police have identified 85 bank accounts linked to the racket with 535 complaints filed on the cyber crime portal.
The total transaction linked to the cyber fraud exceeds Rs 2,500 crore, police said.
The earlier fraud amount was pegged by police at Rs 1,500 crore.
