VMPL
New Delhi [India], September 19: 'TB Free India' Mission has been gaining traction with the participation of private sector in capacity building. Quality-certified diagnostic services by private sector labs are set to play a role of powerful catalyst in identifying 'missing millions.' The government has been taking several initiatives to expand its infrastructure to enhance capacity for the testing and quality-certified private sector labs are expected to provide further thrust to the Mission.
According to the latest WHO Global TB Report, 3 million people globally were missed getting TB services in 2022. TB continues to infect 10 million people annually, killing 1.3 million. Despite global commitments to end TB by 2030 and India's aim to eliminate it by 2025, progress is considerably dependent on robust infrastructure and capacity building. The India TB Report 2024 shows a slight increase in TB incidence in 2023 to 27.8 lakh cases, with 3.2 lakh deaths. Taking into account the huge burden of the disease in the country, the government, under its National Tuberculosis Examination Program (NTEP), started assessing and certifying the quality of tests being conducted at private organization for capacity building for diagnosing and identifying TB cases.
NTEP has a vision of achieving a TB free India with strategies consisting of prevent, detect, treat, and build pillars for universal coverage and social protection. Diagnostic services under the NTEP are provided through a network of laboratories at three levels- National, State, and Facility. The various diagnostic tests provided include microscopy (ZN Smear), Rapid AFB, Culture and DST, cartridge based Molecular Test and Line Probe Assays.
To align with the government's efforts for 'TB Free India' in general and capacity building, the TB Lab at City X Ray & Scan Clinic, a leading diagnostic chain, underwent assessment and certification of quality reporting by NTEP and became the first laboratory in Delhi-NCR to receive NTEP certification for First Line, Line Probe Assay (FL LPA) testing.
"These tests are majorly conducted at the government facilities at various levels. 'TB Free India' Mission calls for a cohesive collaboration with private sector. Our state-of-the-art BSL-3 TB Lab has been providing quality diagnostic service since many years. Recently, we decided to undergo assessment and certification of quality reporting by NTEP. We take immense pride in announcing our NTEP certification for first line in LPA test., first in Delhi. The certification is a hallmark of quality and accuracy of our test reports, It reiterates our quality policy and objectives" said Dr. Sunita Kapoor, Director & Laboratory head, City X Ray & Scan Clinic.
City X Ray & Scan Clinic's achievement aligns to its commitment to support the Government of India's TB Mukt Bharat Mission, aiming to eliminate tuberculosis (TB) from the country.
"We want to stand shoulder to shoulder with the government in the TB Mukt Bharat (TB Free India) Mission. We are the first lab in Delhi NCR to get NTEP certification for FL LPA and this certification is a testament to the precision and reliability of our diagnostic reports. We are all set to get our other NTEP certificates soon. Our team remains steadfast in our mission to provide top-quality diagnostic services and support the national goal of a TB-free India," added Dr. Charu Agrawal, Head of Microbiology and TB Division at City X Ray and Scan Clinic.
Experts strongly believe that with wider participation of private sector in expanding infrastructure and capacity building, India can achieve the target of 'TB Mukt Bharat' by 2025 and the government's need to play a proactive role in roping in private labs in its Mission.
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