Framework for planning and monitoring active TB case finding interventions to meet the global targets in the COVID-19 era and beyond: South-East Asia perspective.

There was an estimated 20-40% decline in tuberculosis (TB) case detection in the South-East Asia Region (SEA Region) during 2020 due to COVID-19 outbreak. This is over and above a million people with TB who were missed each year, prior to the pandemic. Active case finding (ACF) for TB has been gaining considerable interest and investment in the SEA Region and will be even more essential for finding people with TB missed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many countries in the Region have incorporated ACF activities into national strategic plans and are conducting large scale activities with varying results. ACF can reach people with TB earlier than routine approaches, can lead to increases in the numbers of people diagnosed, and is often needed for certain key populations who face stigma, social, and economic barriers. However, ACF is not a one size fits all approach, and has higher costs than routine care. So, planning interventions in consultation with relevant stakeholders including the affected communities is critical. Furthermore, continuous monitoring during the intervention and after completion is crucial as national TB programmes review progress and decide on the effective utilization of limited resources. Planning and monitoring become more relevant in the COVID-19 era because of constraints posed by resource diversion towards pandemic control. Here, we summarize different aspects of planning and monitoring of ACF approaches to inform national TB programmes and partners based on experiences in the SEA Region, as programmes look to reach those who are missed and catch-up on progress towards ending TB.

India can do more for breast and cervical cancer control.

In India breast and cervical cancers are the commonest cancers and have high annual age-adjusted rates in all the registries. In order to have significant improvement in cancer control in India there needs to be a disproportionate focus on women's breast and cervical cancer. In most women cancer has spread at the time of presentation. Simple, inexpensive and cost-effective screening methods are available for both the cancers and compliance to investigation and treatment has been reported to be more than 70%, and more than 80%, respectively for those diagnosed. Screening on a large scale though cost-effective will be challenging economically as well as programmatically. However, there is a need to strategize and select appropriate high-risk groups, have standardized guidelines for screening and treatment, and concentrate on what is do-able.