BENGALURU: Tuberculosis (TB) continues to be a major health concern in Karnataka, with nearly 80,000 cases reported in the state in 2024. According to the state health department, adolescents account for 4,989 cases, while non-adolescents make up 74,379 cases.
Adolescent females outnumber males, but the trend reverses in adults, where men are nearly twice as affected as women. Bengaluru city has the highest TB burden with 11,897 cases, followed by Raichur (4,364) and Kalaburagi (4,342). Among adolescents, Bengaluru city has 1,012 cases and Kalaburagi 374 cases.
World Tuberculosis Day is observed on March 24 every year.
Speaking to TNIE, District Health Officers (DHOs) posted across various districts highlighted a gap between how a man and a woman receives the care. The officials mentioned that while TB affects both men and women, social stigma and economic barriers often delay care for female patients, leading to worse outcomes.
The DHOs also mentioned that they have been witnessing cases where females were abandoned by their families or prevented from marrying due to fears of infertility.
Lead Consultant, Interventional Pulmonology, Aster CMI Hospital, Dr Sunil Kumar K explained that undiagnosed TB poses an increased risk of maternal mortality, preterm labour, and low birth weight in newborns.
“In Karnataka, maternal health challenges persist, and untreated TB further increases these concerns. The non-specific presentation of TB symptoms in women such as fatigue, weight loss, and a persistent mild cough often leads to misdiagnosis, as these symptoms are frequently attributed to nutritional deficiencies or other common ailments."
"Consequently, a substantial number of TB cases in women go unrecognised and unreported, suggesting that the true burden of the disease may be significantly higher than current data indicated,” Dr Sunil stressed.
The Union Health Ministry has been running schemes like ‘Nikshay Poshan Yojana,’ which gives TB patients Rs 1,000 per month during treatment, and Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, which provides extra nutritional support through community donations.
However, despite these efforts, women battling TB say the emotional and mental toll is far worse than the financial strain.
Gayathri Nair, a teacher and member of Hosa Hambala, an NGO supporting TB patients in rural Karnataka, highlighted that even after treatment, many women struggle with skin discolouration and persistent weakness, making it difficult to return to normal life.
“What affects the patients most are the ways people react to their appearance. The discrimination is worse than the disease itself,” she said.