Kohima: Dimapur currently holds the highest tuberculosis burden in Nagaland. Chief Medical Officer Dr. T Yetovi Tuccu confirmed the trend during a sensitisation meeting at Hotel Grand Vista on October 23. The official noted that many patients travel from other districts to Dimapur for medical care, inflating the local count. He described the disease as a persistent public health threat despite the existence of the Bacillus Calmette-Guerin vaccine since 1921.
Private practitioners handle 48.2 percent of healthcare in the state. Dr. Tuccu pushed for closer coordination between these doctors and public facilities. He warned that patients often stop taking medication when they feel better, causing relapses and drug-resistant strains. Doctors must steer these patients toward government clinics for free diagnostics and nutritional aid. "Some patients discontinue treatment after experiencing relief, which can lead to relapse and drug-resistant TB," Dr. Tuccu stated.
State TB Officer Dr. Akum Jamir outlined the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan strategy to hit the UN goal of ending the epidemic by 2030. Vulnerable groups include smokers, alcohol users, diabetics, the malnourished, and those over age 60. Teams will now deploy across 56 blocks in the state to boost outreach. Poshan Abhiyaan provides the nutritional support needed to fight these infections.
WHO Medical Consultant Dr. Collins Z Sono reported that 35 to 40 crore Indians carry the infection. Roughly 28 lakh people develop the disease each year. While India saw a 25 percent drop in mortality between 2015 and 2024, Nagaland only saw an 18 percent decline. The state currently manages 53 diagnostic centres. Temjenochetla Ao, the state Public-Private Mix coordinator, noted that patients in the private sector pay a median of INR 20,000 for their care. Only 33 percent of those private patients receive Universal Drug Susceptibility Testing within 15 days.
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