Topic: 2024-Tuberculosis
Country: India
Delegate Name: Katie Macey
Despite medical advancements that make tuberculosis curable and preventable, this persistent disease continues to be a leading cause of death in low-middle-income countries across the world. Tuberculosis infected an estimated 10.6 million people worldwide in 2022 with 1.3 million of those succumbing to this devastating disease.
The risks of tuberculosis are amplified in those with existing infectious diseases or medical conditions. Diabetics and people infected with HIV are more susceptible to tuberculosis. Additionally, those with the COVID-19 virus are more likely to develop tuberculosis. The COVID-19 pandemic has also limited the management of the tuberculosis epidemic by diverting critical resources away from addressing those infected with tuberculosis. Insufficient or inappropriate treatment can lead to the development of multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis, which makes tuberculosis a greater threat to public health by raising the mortality rate. To reach the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal of eradicating tuberculosis by 2030, immediate coordinated efforts must be made by countries worldwide.
Tuberculosis is especially prevalent in India, however, the overall number of tuberculosis cases has declined from 2019 to 2021. In India, tuberculosis still kills hundreds of thousands of people per year (as of 2022). While many Western nations view tuberculosis as a disease of the past, the people of India know that it is a very real danger still today. As a result, India has undertaken aggressive steps to reduce the incidence of tuberculosis and increase the chances that infections are less serious and often non-fatal. India has addressed this pressing issue within the country by providing monetary incentives to patients to improve nutrition, creating programs to increase awareness of tuberculosis within communities, and providing better access to drugs that treat tuberculosis.
Providing access to life-saving medicine to all people throughout the world is imperative, but it is insufficient to deal with the scourge of tuberculosis. India knows firsthand that drugs are not enough, and in our early efforts, it can be seen that drugs alone do not meaningfully reduce the incidence of tuberculosis or its negative effects. The limits of drugs as a comprehensive solution are also seen through the rise of drug-resistant variants of tuberculosis. The problem cannot be effectively addressed if more dangerous variants of tuberculosis are being created that could expand its severity and prevalence across the globe.
To more effectively solve the problem, the root causes need to be addressed by raising the baseline health of citizens around the world. As tuberculosis is typically more prevalent in people of lower socioeconomic status, regular medical care, healthier lifestyles, and cleaner environments are all crucial to addressing tuberculosis. In India, several initiatives have been successfully implemented that should be adopted by other countries around the world that are combatting this disease. For example, engaging with the private sector to ensure standardized treatment, implementing a digital reporting system on the national level, investing in the creation of drugs to combat multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, and establishing programs to address poverty, malnutrition, and indoor air pollution.
The pain, suffering, and death brought by tuberculosis impact communities around the world. Their hardships cannot be ignored. Equal access to life-saving drugs is essential, but it is insufficient. Only by the implementation of comprehensive public health measures through international collaboration can tuberculosis truly be eradicated from the world.
Works Cited:
Varshney, Karan, et al. “Trends in Tuberculosis Mortality Across India: Improvements Despite the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Cureus, vol. 15, no. 4, Apr. 2023, p. e38313, https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.38313.
World Health Organization: WHO. “Tuberculosis.” World Health Organization: WHO, 7 Nov. 2023, https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/tuberculosis. Accessed 11 Feb. 2024.
