MUMBAI, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Mumbai civic authorities have identified 172 positive cases of tuberculosis (TB) in its recently conducted survey that covered 1 million households across the city's slums, said a healthcare official from BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation late on Wednesday.
More than 5,000 citizens are suspected of having TB and around 2,362 may be at the risk of leprosy, as per the findings of a health survey.
All the patients who have been diagnosed as TB-positive have been referred to the civic dispensaries and clinics for further treatment, though they are free to opt for treatment at private hospitals, said the healthcare official.
The screening program also helped the civic body identify over 100,000 people in the city suffering from hypertension, cancer and diabetes.
Lifestyle diseases like diabetes and hypertension have taken a toll on the health of the people leading to rise in morbidity rates, the official said.
India has recently commenced a nationwide survey to find the prevalence of tuberculosis for the second time since 1955 with an aim to formulate policies and work towards eliminating the disease.
According to World Health Organnisation report, India accounts for over 27 percent patients of tuberculosis, the highest in the world. In the year 2018, 2.69 million people fell ill with TB, but only 1.99 million people were notified while the rest were not diagnosed.
