India has the largest number of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis cases, 27 per cent of the global total, Minister of State for Health Ashwini Choubey has said. However, according to the latest global TB report, India ranks 38th in the number of MDR-TB patients per lakh population (9.6).
“The estimated number of multidrug-resistant/ Rifampicin-resistant TB (MDR/RR TB) patients in India for 2018 is 1,30,000, which contributes to about 27 per cent of the global burden,” Choubey said.
Resistance to anti-TB drugs can occur because of faulty prescriptions which was previously rampant in the private sector, and is now being managed through better engaging the