Reducing the Financial Impact of Tuberculosis in India

Despite concerted efforts like the END TB Strategy, India faces the highest disease and economic burden for tuberculosis. A newly published study in PLOS Global Public Health, explores the financial burden and consequences for patients with TB in the nation. Regardless of the free diagnostic and treatment provided by the state, patients spent significant funds on care.

According to the George Institute for Global Health, “The low income of the patients along with high unemployment because of TB forced them to borrow money and/or sell / mortgage their personal belongings during treatment which resulted in a high outstanding loan in the post-treatment phase. Further, to manage the outstanding loan, they had to borrow/sell/mortgage during the post-treatment period as well.”

To read more, click here.

(Source: Medical Xpress, March 31^st, 2023)