TB news from India

The Indian Express: India to start universal screening for TB, leprosy: Health Minister JP Nadda
“We are starting universal screening. At the age of 30 years, everyone will have to be screened not just for diabetes, hypertension and cancers, but also for tuberculosis and leprosy,” Nadda said.

-- See also: The TeCake: Universal Screening for leprosy and TB to start in India: Union Health Minister

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The Wire: Debate: India’s TB patients need bedaquiline now, never mind the critics
The World Health Organisation reiterated its guidelines last year, advising roll out of the drug in government controlled programmes. This is exactly what India is doing.

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The Times of India: Aadhaar, bank information a must for TB patients to draw monthly aid
Aadhaar has been made mandatory for those TB patients drawing nutritional aid of Rs 500 per month during their course of treatment. In order to streamline direct benefit transfer where money is credited to the beneficiary’s account, the state government has sought Aadhaar card and bank account details of the patients.

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The Indian Express: Haffkine to conduct trial for faster, cheaper TB diagnosis
Following the success of a small laboratory trial, the Indian government is funding a TB diagnosis program that will use a technology to identify TB bacteria from other micro-organisms — a process estimated to reduce both time and cost.