Health specialists in India are using fingerprint technology to make sure tuberculosis sufferers receive proper treatment for the deadly lung infection. New Delhi resident Vishnu Maya has already noticed a difference in her health after a few weeks of treatment for the disease. “I feel better. I have been feeling better for the last two to three days," she says. "I am not in a lot of pain right now.” Maya goes to a neighborhood health center to take her TB medication in the presence of Neema Mehta, a counselor with the Indian NGO Operation Asha. Mehta has the difficult job of ensuring that patients do not stop their treatment for any reason. “We have to explain to them, because they see it is a six-month dose and they get worried that they have to take it for so long," she says. "We have to explain to them that there is no need to worry - that if you take your medication on time, you will get better.” Tuberculosis remains a major health crisis for India, with two million people diagnosed each year. Making sure patients complete treatment is crucial. Stopping can cause the lung infection to morph into a deadlier version called multiple drug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), which is much more difficult and costly to treat. India is estimated to be home to 100,000 such cases. But Operation Asha founder Dr. Shelly Batra fears the number is much higher, with thousands of people who remain undiagnosed. |