Nutrition plays a crucial role in the fight against this disease: 2.2 million new cases are directly linked to malnutrition.
Released in August 2023, the RATIONS study (Reducing Activation of Tuberculosis by Improvement of Nutritional Status) conducted in India, aimed to assess the impact of nutritional supplements on the tuberculosis rates among family members of adults with confirmed pulmonary tuberculosis.
The findings showed that providing nutritional support to these families, through provision of food baskets, led to a nearly 40% reduction in all forms of tuberculosis, with infectious cases declining by almost 50%.
This approach offers an alternative to seeking biomedical solutions such as vaccines and medications. Enhancing nutritional status plays a key role in the prevention and mitigation of the disease.
An essential perspective to inform social protection programs for people with tuberculosis and their families, especially considering that in 2024, this disease is the second top deadliest infectious disease in the world.
Together, let’s continue to act against tuberculosis!