(a) the present status of implementation of the National Strategic Plan for Revised National Turberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP);
(b) the status of procurement and distribution of anti-TB drugs in the country
during last five financial years;
(c) whether the Government is planning to adopt daily anti-TB drug dosage regimen instead of thrice a week as per World Health Organisations recommendation; and
(d) if so, the details and the objectives thereof?
THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
(SHRI GHULAM NABI AZAD)
(a): National Strategic plan (NSP) for control of Tuberculosis during 2012-17 gives the thrust areas and strategies for RNTCP. This has been broadly approved and included in the 12th Five year plan for the period 2012-17.
(b): During last five years anti TB drugs for the treatment of patients under Revised National TB Control Programme are being procured by the programme and are distributed to states and districts. Further for certain drugs decentralized procurement has been permitted by the States.
So far as distribution is concerned, drugs are received at Government Medical Store Depots (GMSD). These drugs are released from GMSDs every quarter to the states after reviewing the quarterly “Programme Management Report†showing the consumption during the previous quarter. States further issue these drugs to districts and other peripheral health institutions as per the consumption of the previous quarter.
(c) & (d): The WHO has recommended both daily and intermittent regimens under recommendation number 2.1. Under recommendation no. 2.1B, it is stated that, “Three times weekly dosing throughout therapy may be used as another alternative to recommendation 2.1†(Reference: WHO TB Treatment Guidelines, 4th edition-2009)
In India since the inception of the Revised National TB Control Programme 1997, intermittent regimen is being used.