Tuberculosis Deaths Hit 71 in Mizoram as Cases Top 1,000

Aizawl: Tuberculosis killed 71 people in Mizoram since January. Health officials confirmed the death toll during a state TB forum meeting in Aizawl on Thursday. They screened over 61,000 people and found 1,087 positive cases. The numbers paint a grim picture.

Dr. Zochhuanawmi, the state TB officer, noted that 93.5 percent of patients were older than 14. Men made up 57 percent of those infections. Doctors identified 520 cases of pulmonary tuberculosis while 47 patients battle multidrug-resistant forms of the disease. Co-infection remains a major hurdle. State officials confirmed that 92 patients are living with HIV.

Treatment success rates sit at 86.49 percent. Still, the need for help remains high. The Nikshay Mitra Initiative provides food baskets to 374 patients with the backing of 103 donors. Officials warned that only 28 percent of patients receive this extra nutritional support. Dr. Zochhuanawmi stated that the figures "were presented during a state TB forum meeting held at the office of the Mission Director of the National Health Mission (NHM) in Aizawl on Thursday." More community donors must step up to close the gap for the remaining patients.