| NAAT (Nucleic Acid Amplification Test) NAAT is a molecular test to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA in respiratory samples. |
- India is preparing to roll out the BPaL regimen (bedaquiline, pretomanid, and linezolid) for all multidrug-resistant (MDR-TB) and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) patients, with training set to begin this month.
- This significant move aims to improve treatment outcomes in the country’s fight against M/XDR-TB, as the regimen has shown promising results in countries like Pakistan, South Africa, and Ukraine.
- The principal adviser of the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme, announced the rollout, emphasizing that scaling up NAAT.
- This new treatment, which includes the anti-TB drug pretomanid, significantly reduces the treatment duration from 18-24 months to around six months and simplifies the regimen from 14 drugs daily to just three tablets.
- A recent paper highlighted the World Health Organization’s 2022 recommendation of the six-month BPaL and BPaLM (Moxifloxacin) regimens for drug-resistant TB, demonstrating that these regimens are more effective, shorter, less burdensome for patients, and more cost-effective for health systems.
(Articles on Tuberculosis extensively covered in May and June Magazines)
Dig Deeper: Read about the National TB Elimination Program.
