i'm trying to work out a problem today at yrg care. after reviewing the clinical database of the six thousand patients we have seen here at the clinic, we've found that incidence (new cases diagnosed per year) of tuberculosis is rising, despite the increased access to antiretroviral therapy (which should theoretically bring down tb rates). tuberculosis remains the leading infectious cause of death in india, killing close to 500,000 people a year. india has far more cases of tuberculosis than any other country in the world — about 2 million new cases each year — and accounts for nearly one third of prevalent cases globally. i'm scratching my head, trying to figure out exactly what is going on - lots of ideas, but no clear conclusion. but in my research and background reading, i came across a quote that really struck me. it's from the director-general of the world health organization, who said "the whole world benefits from the fruits of indian tuberculosis research - the whole world, except india." (Grzybowski S. Natural history of tuberculosis: epidemiology. Bull Int Union Tuberc Lung Dis 1991;66:193-194.) from the data i'm mulling over, pardon the tasteless pun, but he's dead on.
Posted by chaguturu at March 3, 2004 05:29 AM | TrackBack