The Twin Epidemics: TB and COVID-19 in India

COVID-19 has disrupted the health systems in low-and middle-income countries and has consequently unleashed a global health crisis. The lack of preparedness is visible at multiple levels of the healthcare system in India. The health system is overwhelmed by the influx of COVID-19 cases, dislodging all other patients. An inadequate healthcare infrastructure with less than optimal human resources along with a rising case-load and serious supply chain disruptions, has resulted in fatigue, frustration, and anger among the health workforce on the one hand, and in an atmosphere of fear among the patients and healthcare workers, on the others. The media is filled with messages on the COVID-19 crisis. Forgotten in the hyperbole is that numerous other diseases continue to devastate India’s population. Of these, the most important is TB. India continues to bear the highest burden of TB in the world accounting for an estimated 2.8 million cases every year and killing more than 400,000 persons annually. TB kills 1,200 Indians every day. The symptoms of COVID-19 and TB are very similar. Both are respiratory air-borne diseases. Both diseases are heavily stigmatized. And both are associated with mental health problems. Gender disparities are apparent in TB and COVID-19, but the gendered aspects of these diseases is ignored in programming. The author argues that for all these reasons, these two diseases should be addressed in tandem. It is time to fight COVID-19 and TB just as it is time to invest in public health.