121 people died of TB in Mizoram since January

Aizawl, Oct 18 (PTI) At least 121 people have died of tuberculosis (TB) and 1,870 have been diagnosed with the disease in Mizoram since January till October 10, according to the state health department.

The department's data, accessed by PTI, said that 97,647 blood samples were tested in the state, out of which 1,870 people, including 744 females, were found suffering from tuberculosis.

A total of 121 people were diagnosed with multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) and 211 others were found suffering from both TB and HIV-positive during the same period, it said.

Altogether 82 per cent of the patients have been successfully treated, the data said.

Of the total 1,870 infected patients, 1,761 were above 14 years and 104 were below 14 years, it said.

Health officials said that there was a gradual increase in the fatality rate and TB patients from 2020.

While 31 people died of TB in 2020, the number of fatalities increased to 46 in 2021, 87 in 2022, 119 in 2023 and 136 in 2024, they said.

At least 540 people died due to TB in the last five years, they said.

More than 11,000 people have been diagnosed with the disease during the last five years, with the highest 2,307 cases reported in 2024, followed by 2,115 in 2023, they said.

Health officials also said that more than 100 people have registered to adopt TB patients or donate to them through the online platform "Nikshay" under the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan.

The Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan was launched by President Droupadi Murmu in September 2022.

It is a programme to augment community involvement in meeting India’s commitment to end TB by 2025, ahead of the global target of 2030. PTI CORR BDC