The Centre has declared Tuberculosis, TB as a mandatory notifiable disease with immediate effect.

Notification of TB cases by all healthcare providers will help patients better access to quality diagnosis and treatment.

The Health and Familiy Welfare Ministry in its statement said that this will facilitate early diagnosis, rational treatment, prevention of complications, drug resistance and reduction of deaths due to TB.

It will also facilitate the National TB Control Programme to plan resources and control measures commensurate with the actual burden of disease for larger interest of the public and the nation as a whole.

It said, in order to ensure proper TB diagnosis as well as to address the problems of emergence of spread of Drug Resistant TB, it is essential to have complete information of all TB cases.