Bridging gaps in tuberculosis control: addressing cross-border challenges between India and Pakistan

IF 1.9 Q3 INFECTIOUS DISEASES
Harendra Kumar , Fnu Teena , Aneeta Bai , Love Kumar , Sebastian Gallego
{"title":"Bridging gaps in tuberculosis control: addressing cross-border challenges between India and Pakistan","authors":"Harendra Kumar ,&nbsp;Fnu Teena ,&nbsp;Aneeta Bai ,&nbsp;Love Kumar ,&nbsp;Sebastian Gallego","doi":"10.1016/j.jctube.2025.100526","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Tuberculosis (TB) continues to pose a substantial public health concern in South Asia, especially in India and Pakistan, which together represent a considerable portion of the worldwide TB burden. Notwithstanding national initiatives, international cooperation in tuberculosis control is insufficient, presenting a considerable obstacle to disease eradication. This viewpoint underscores the pressing need for improved collaboration between the two nations to tackle common difficulties, such as multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), inadequate data exchange, and inconsistencies in treatment procedures. We suggest a framework to enhance bilateral tuberculosis control efforts via enhanced data-sharing methods, standardization of treatment regimens, collaborative research projects, and cross-border healthcare access. The formation of a regional tuberculosis task force and health corridors, equipped with diagnostic and treatment facilities, may improve disease monitoring and patient care, particularly in border areas. Moreover, combined training programs for healthcare professionals and legislative measures might enhance a more synchronized response. The World Health Organization (WHO) advocates for a worldwide plan to eradicate tuberculosis, presenting India and Pakistan with the potential to use international collaborations, like the Worldwide Fund and the Stop TB Partnership, to deploy novel diagnostic methods and therapies. A cohesive approach to tuberculosis enhances regional health security and establishes a benchmark for wider infectious disease management efforts. This viewpoint emphasizes the need for a collaborative strategy for tuberculosis control, promoting policy-oriented initiatives that surpass political divisions to attain a shared objective—diminishing tuberculosis incidence and enhancing public health outcomes in both countries.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37942,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Clinical Tuberculosis and Other Mycobacterial Diseases","volume":"39 ","pages":"Article 100526"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9000,"publicationDate":"2025-04-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Clinical Tuberculosis and Other Mycobacterial Diseases","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405579425000178","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"INFECTIOUS DISEASES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0

Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) continues to pose a substantial public health concern in South Asia, especially in India and Pakistan, which together represent a considerable portion of the worldwide TB burden. Notwithstanding national initiatives, international cooperation in tuberculosis control is insufficient, presenting a considerable obstacle to disease eradication. This viewpoint underscores the pressing need for improved collaboration between the two nations to tackle common difficulties, such as multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), inadequate data exchange, and inconsistencies in treatment procedures. We suggest a framework to enhance bilateral tuberculosis control efforts via enhanced data-sharing methods, standardization of treatment regimens, collaborative research projects, and cross-border healthcare access. The formation of a regional tuberculosis task force and health corridors, equipped with diagnostic and treatment facilities, may improve disease monitoring and patient care, particularly in border areas. Moreover, combined training programs for healthcare professionals and legislative measures might enhance a more synchronized response. The World Health Organization (WHO) advocates for a worldwide plan to eradicate tuberculosis, presenting India and Pakistan with the potential to use international collaborations, like the Worldwide Fund and the Stop TB Partnership, to deploy novel diagnostic methods and therapies. A cohesive approach to tuberculosis enhances regional health security and establishes a benchmark for wider infectious disease management efforts. This viewpoint emphasizes the need for a collaborative strategy for tuberculosis control, promoting policy-oriented initiatives that surpass political divisions to attain a shared objective—diminishing tuberculosis incidence and enhancing public health outcomes in both countries.
弥合结核病控制方面的差距:应对印度和巴基斯坦之间的跨界挑战
在南亚,特别是在印度和巴基斯坦,结核病继续构成一个重大的公共卫生问题,这两个国家加起来占世界结核病负担的相当大一部分。尽管有国家倡议,但在结核病控制方面的国际合作不足,这对根除疾病构成了相当大的障碍。这一观点强调了两国之间迫切需要改善合作,以解决共同的困难,例如耐多药结核病(MDR-TB)、数据交换不足以及治疗程序不一致。我们建议建立一个框架,通过加强数据共享方法、标准化治疗方案、合作研究项目和跨境医疗保健获取来加强双边结核病控制工作。成立一个区域结核病工作队和配备诊断和治疗设施的保健走廊,可改善疾病监测和病人护理,特别是在边境地区。此外,针对医疗保健专业人员的联合培训计划和立法措施可能会加强更同步的反应。世界卫生组织(世卫组织)倡导一项全球根除结核病计划,使印度和巴基斯坦有可能利用国际合作,如世界基金和控制结核病伙伴关系,部署新的诊断方法和治疗方法。统一的结核病防治办法可加强区域卫生安全,并为更广泛的传染病管理工作确立基准。这一观点强调需要制定一项结核病控制合作战略,促进超越政治分歧的以政策为导向的举措,以实现两国减少结核病发病率和提高公共卫生成果的共同目标。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
求助全文
约1分钟内获得全文 求助全文
来源期刊
Journal of Clinical Tuberculosis and Other Mycobacterial Diseases
Journal of Clinical Tuberculosis and Other Mycobacterial Diseases Medicine-Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine
CiteScore
4.00
自引率
5.00%
发文量
44
审稿时长
30 weeks
期刊介绍: Journal of Clinical Tuberculosis and Mycobacterial Diseases aims to provide a forum for clinically relevant articles on all aspects of tuberculosis and other mycobacterial infections, including (but not limited to) epidemiology, clinical investigation, transmission, diagnosis, treatment, drug-resistance and public policy, and encourages the submission of clinical studies, thematic reviews and case reports. Journal of Clinical Tuberculosis and Mycobacterial Diseases is an Open Access publication.
×
引用
GB/T 7714-2015
复制
MLA
复制
APA
复制
导出至
BibTeX EndNote RefMan NoteFirst NoteExpress
×
提示
您的信息不完整,为了账户安全,请先补充。
现在去补充
×
提示
您因"违规操作"
具体请查看互助需知
我知道了
×
提示
确定
请完成安全验证×
copy
已复制链接
快去分享给好友吧!
我知道了
右上角分享
点击右上角分享
0
联系我们:info@booksci.cn Book学术提供免费学术资源搜索服务,方便国内外学者检索中英文文献。致力于提供最便捷和优质的服务体验。 Copyright © 2023 布克学术 All rights reserved.
京ICP备2023020795号-1
ghs 京公网安备 11010802042870号
Book学术文献互助
Book学术文献互助群
群 号:481959085
Book学术官方微信