The TB Crisis and Women: Why Gender Issues Matter More Than Ever

The Indian healthcare system must address the public health issue of tuberculosis (TB) despite the distinct challenges faced by female patients who need treatment. Three main obstacles including financial limitations together with social judgment and poor health care-seeking behaviors work to delay proper diagnosis and the completion of treatment. The target to eliminate TB throughout India by 2025 seems improbable based on data presented in the India TB Report 2024. Different global and national TB combat initiatives require specific intervention strategies to address gender disparities which block women from obtaining equal healthcare opportunity.

Gender Differences in TB Care

• The public and private health systems maintain gender-related barriers in obtaining TB treatment services.

• Women face double difficulties since they have to manage their work duties and household tasks together with their tuberculosis treatment regimen.

• TB treatment brings major challenges to many women because of financial problems and extended care responsibilities.

TB Prevalence in India

According to India TB Report 2024 the nation will fail to eliminate tuberculosis before 2025.

• Key Statistics:

  • 331,000 deaths due to TB in 2022 (23 deaths per 100,000 population).

  • India continues to hold 27 percent of the total worldwide reported incidence of tuberculosis.

  • Among all new TB cases 2.5% and 13% of cases from the previously treated patient population demonstrate drug resistance.

  • Two percent of total tuberculosis patients also test positive for human immunodeficiency virus.

What is Tuberculosis?

• A bacterial infection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis serves as the causative factor of Tuberculosis.

• Commonly Affected Organs: Lungs, pleura, lymph nodes, intestines, spine, and brain.

• The path of transmission occurs by air through person-to-person contact with poor ventilation conditions between spaces.

Symptoms:

• Cough with sputum and blood.

• Chest pain, weakness, weight loss, fever, and night sweats.

Global Burden:

• 10 million new cases annually.

• Each year TB causes 1.5 million deaths resulting in the death toll ranking of infectious diseases.

• TB stands as the main mortality factor for people with HIV infection while simultaneously driving antimicrobial resistance.

• Highest TB cases in Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, and South Africa.

Gender-Specific Challenges in TB Care

• Post-Treatment Issues:

  • After skin discoloration and weakness affect women they find it challenging to return to their regular lives.

  • People face mental stress because society discriminates against them due to physical changes.

• Stigma and Neglect:

  • Family members tend to cut ties with women whenever they receive a diagnosis of tuberculosis.

  • The shortage of symptom prioritization combined with insufficient normalization of symptoms prevents patients from obtaining timely care.

  • People discontinue their medical treatment before their symptoms entirely disappear.

• Under-Diagnosis and Financial Barriers

  • The increased incidence of TB among men occurs because they take on higher life-style risks through smoking habits and drug abuse and exposure at work.

• Women face distinct challenges:

  • Under-diagnosis due to less prioritization in families.

  • Healthcare facilities remain out of reach because of financial limitations.

  • Women avoid treatment access along with refusing to share their health situation because of societal judgments about their medical condition.

• Public Health Insights:

  • Research demonstrates that traditional behavioral expectations of men and women still affect how they receive TB treatment.

  • Female patients avoid getting diagnosed because they are concerned their income and social support will be taken away.

  • NGOs promote enhanced execution of government welfare programs by individuals.

Initiatives to Combat TB

Global Efforts:

• WHO Initiatives:

  • Find. Treat. All. #EndTB joint initiative with the Global Fund and Stop TB Partnership.

  • Global Tuberculosis Report released annually.

• The Global Plan to End TB (2023-2030):

  • The global health community uses this plan to reach the goal of TB elimination as a public health threat by 2030.

  • The plan directs how funds will be structured to eliminate tuberculosis while setting specific action criteria.

• The End TB Strategy:

  • The initiative supports the target set by UN Sustainable Development Goal 3.3.

  • The organization devotes broader global resources to fight tuberculosis.

India’s Efforts:

•  Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan: India launched the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan and has established a nationwide campaign to eliminate TB from the country.

• National Strategic Plan (NSP): National Strategic Plan (NSP) for Tuberculosis Elimination (2017-2025): Focuses on early detection, treatment, and prevention.

• TB Harega Desh Jeetega: The TB Harega Desh Jeetega Campaign operates as a public awareness effort which promotes medical treatment adherence among population groups.

• Nikshay Poshan Yojana: Provides ₹1,000 per month as direct benefit transfer to TB patients.

• RePORT India represents a joint Indo-US research initiative that conducts Tuberculosis observational research in different Indian regions.

India’s TB Elimination Targets

• The developed initiative aims to eliminate Tuberculosis by 2025 which exceeds the global 2030 elimination timeline.

• The goal of India TB Report 2024 shows unlikely to achieve national elimination targets.

• Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Target: 80% reduction in TB incidence.

• National TB Elimination Program (NTEP) 2020:

  • The program seeks to identify diseases early then provide proper treatment in combination with prevention techniques.

  • The program implements three key initiatives for improving the conditions: giving financial aid to affected families and involving the private sector and mobilizing community members.

  • Prevention stands as the leading foundation which the government uses to accomplish its TB control objectives.

Conclusion

Multiple TB combat initiatives exist in India but gender-based inequalities prevent successful achievement of TB elimination. Women experience discrimination and struggle to access healthcare due to financial limitations and social consequences so state officials must take action to fix these issues. Making TB care more inclusive requires stronger support networks and better awareness and equal access to treatment as well as financial assistance. The elimination of tuberculosis from India by 2025 will face major obstacles because gender-sensitive interventions are not in place.