Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the pan-India rollout of a shorter TB Preventive Treatment (TPT) in March 2023 called the 3HP
- The 3HP means “once-weekly isoniazid-rifapentine for 12 weeks”.
- According to a recent report, states are yet to receive the 3HP combination drug from the Central TB Division.
- Tamil Nadu and Kerala have already begun using 3HP for TB preventive treatment despite not receiving the drug supply.
- Currently, all household contacts of a person who has been recently diagnosed with pulmonary TB are tested for TB disease and those who do not have TB disease but have been infected with the bacteria are offered treatment to prevent the progression from latent infection to TB disease.
- Daily dose of isoniazid for six months, which is the current treatment protocol, translates to 180 pills. In contrast, the 3HP regimen of one combination drug a week for three months translates to 12 pills in all.
Latent TB infection
- Persons with latent TB infection do not feel sick and do not have any symptoms. They are infected with M. tuberculosis, but do not have TB disease.
- The only sign of TB infection is a positive reaction to the tuberculin skin test or TB blood test.
- Persons with latent TB infection are not infectious and cannot spread TB infection to others.
