To treat children from tuberculosis, a new treatment protocol for this “vulnerable” section is on the anvil. A high-level experts constituted by the Union health ministry is finalising new “weight bands” (dose according to weight) for the children.
“It is important to give doses to the children according to their weight. We are in the process to balance it out. The new weight bands will soon be finalised. The children are the most vulnerable section as even their diagnosis is difficult,” said a senior official in the health ministry.
More than eight years after the last treatment protocol was finalised, the health ministry held the consultation with the experts recently to finalise on the new treatment regimen which will have different dosage for children ageing 0-14 years. “At present the dosage is same for 6-10 years. While, for somebody who is six years the dose is high and for 10 years seems low. There is a need to balance it out,” added the official. The health ministry recently has held consultations with the experts including members of Indian Academy of Paediatrics who will come out with the guidelines soon.
In India out of the total number of cases registered, seven per cent are paediatrics TB cases. About 90,190 cases of new paediatric TB cases were registered in 2010. India will release its new report on the recent incidence and infection rate on Saturday.
“Even as the infection rate has gone down from 1.5 per cent in 2002-2003 to 1.1 per cent in 2011, the total number of cases are going up due to the increase in population,” added the official.