Key Points
Underlining critical occupation risks in the health sector, a new study has found that in India, cases of tuberculosis (TB) are a lot more prevalent among healthcare workers in comparison to the general population...
The analysis of 10 separate studies conducted in the last two decades between 2004 and 2023 found an average prevalence of 2,391.6 cases per 1,00,000 healthcare workers in India, far higher than the rate of 300 cases per 1 lakh population...
The study, titled 'Prevalence of Tuberculosis Among Healthcare Workers in India: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis,' is a collaborative effort by Ravindra Nath from Teerthanker Mahaveer University, Moradabad, along with Jugal Kishore, Pranav Ish, Aninda Debnath and Nitin Panwar, from VMMC and Safdarjung Hospital and Anirban Bhaumik from Baba Saheb Ambedkar Medical College and Hospital, Delhi...
Despite the acknowledged risks, comprehensive epidemiological data on TB among healthcare workers in India is sparse and often inconsistent, Jugal Kishore, Director and Professor in the Department of Community Medicine at Safdarjung Hospital highlighted...
They also stressed routine TB screening for all healthcare workers, especially those in high-risk roles, to facilitate early intervention and reduce transmission besides, holding ongoing training programmes to raise awareness about TB risks and the importance of preventive practices...
