When India announced a lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus, a concern was echoed throughout the country: how will those who need to ...
When India announced a lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus, a concern was echoed throughout the country: how will those who need to step out to earn money every day, sustain themselves?
As Covid-19 grips the headlines, we often forget that India has one of the largest underweight populations in the world. In some states, these statistics are extremely grim. We often forget that while low weight is a classic symptom of poverty, it is also one of tuberculosis, a disease associated with the wasting away of fat and muscle. Being underweight is both a cause and a consequence of TB.
Poverty and resulting hunger and undernutrition increase the chances of active TB and also the severity of the disease. It reduces patients’ speed of recovery and exacerbates suffering side effects from the medicine, and the likelihood of their becoming one of the many Indians that TB claims every year.
Nutrition is crucial
Developing TB also compounds undernutrition and weight loss. First, the disease reduces appetite and hence dietary intake. Second, the fever increases the basal metabolic rate – the rate at which calories are expended and finally TB causes a breakdown of protein and muscle, leading to wasting –low weight-for-height. Further, undernutrition continues to challenge patients,...
