Published Paper Details:

Tuberculosis continues to be a significant public health concern in India, particularly among socio-economically disadvantaged populations. This paper presents a detailed socio-economic, occupational, and geographical analysis of 418 TB patients in Arunachal Pradesh based on fieldwork conducted in 2021-2022. The findings indicate that students (47.36 per cent) and unemployed individuals (17.7 per cent) are the most affected occupational groups, while families dependent on small businesses and agriculture are disproportionately vulnerable. Nearly half of the TB-affected households earn less than INR50,000 annually, underscoring the correlation between poverty and TB. Furthermore, the study identifies a higher prevalence of TB in rural and remote districts, with significant barriers to healthcare access and transport. Pulmonary TB (82.53 per cent) dominates the case distribution, but extra-pulmonary TB (17.46 per cent) remains a considerable concern. The study recommends tailored, income-sensitive public health interventions to address the socio-economic and spatial inequities that shape the TB burden.