BMC, US CDC partnership serves as global model in fight against TB

MCGM developed India’s first TB monitoring and evaluation cell

- David J Ranz

With so much focus on Covid-19, Mumbai also recently witnessed an increase in tuberculosis (TB), reminiscent of a rise in the disease in my hometown of New York City during the 1980s. The good news is that, thanks to the long-established US-India health partnership and lessons learned from the New York City cases, Mumbai is becoming a global model for how large metropolitan cities address TB.

Through several path-breaking initiatives to improve prevention, detection, and response to TB, together we are saving lives. A big part of this success stems from a partnership between the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), called the Mumbai Mission for TB Control. Since that partnership was established in 2014, TB case notifications increased by 61% in the city. This led India’s national TB programme to award Mumbai the bronze award for reaching 70% of its TB elimination targets in three zones (Ghatkopar, Grant Road, and Prabhadevi), and the silver award for reaching 80% in Parel.