UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Shorter All-Oral Regimens for Drug-Resistant TB are Cost-Effective in India: ICMR Study

Q1. With reference to the constituent drugs of the six-month all-oral BPaLM regimen adopted under the National TB Elimination Programme, consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?

  1. Bedaquiline is a constituent drug of the BPaLM regimen.
  2. Moxifloxacin is a constituent drug of the BPaLM regimen.
  3. Pretomanid is a constituent drug of the BPaLM regimen.
  4. Capreomycin is a constituent drug of the BPaLM regimen.
  • A. 1 and 2
  • B. 2 and 3
  • C. 3 only
  • D. 4 only

Q2. With reference to the difference between the BPaL and BPaLM regimens for drug-resistant TB, consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. BPaL differs from BPaLM in that it omits moxifloxacin.
  2. BPaLM is the regimen of choice when resistance to fluoroquinolones is documented.
  3. The BPaLM regimen is completed in six months, against 18-20 months for the older longer bedaquiline-containing regimens.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q3. With reference to the ICMR cost-effectiveness study on drug-resistant TB regimens and the adoption of BPaLM, consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are correctly identified?

  1. The economic evaluation was conducted by the ICMR-National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis, Chennai.
  2. The Health Technology Assessment supporting the BPaLM adoption was carried out through the Department of Health Research.
  3. The study findings were published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research.
  4. The regimen was approved for programmatic rollout by the National Medical Commission.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 1, 2 and 4
  • C. 2, 3 and 4
  • D. 1, 3 and 4

Q4. How many individual drugs constitute the BPaLM regimen approved by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare for MDR/RR-TB?

  • A. Three
  • B. Four
  • C. Five
  • D. Six

Q5. India's TB elimination target under the National TB Elimination Programme is set how many years ahead of the global Sustainable Development Goal target for ending TB?

  • A. Three years
  • B. Five years
  • C. Seven years
  • D. Ten years

Q6. With reference to the evolution of the National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP) from its predecessor, consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme was renamed the National TB Elimination Programme in 2020.
  2. India's target year for TB elimination under the NTEP is 2025.
  3. The vision of eliminating TB by 2025 was first articulated at the Delhi End TB Summit held in 2020.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q7. The Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan was launched in 2022 by which one of the following authorities?

  • A. Prime Minister of India
  • B. President of India
  • C. Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare
  • D. Vice-Chairman, NITI Aayog

Q8. With reference to the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan and its Ni-kshay Mitra component, consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The Ni-kshay Mitra initiative was launched as a vital component of the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan.
  2. Under the initiative, Ni-kshay Mitras can provide nutritional, diagnostic and vocational support to persons on TB treatment.
  3. The Abhiyaan follows a whole-of-society and whole-of-government approach involving elected representatives and multiple line ministries.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q9. The Health Technology Assessment that evaluated the safety and cost-effectiveness of the BPaLM regimen prior to its adoption under the NTEP was carried out through which one of the following bodies?

  • A. Department of Health Research
  • B. Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation
  • C. National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority
  • D. National Health Authority

Q10. Per the ICMR-NIRT economic evaluation, which one of the following regimens was found to be not merely cost-effective but actually cost-saving compared with the standard regimen?

  • A. BPaLM
  • B. BPaL
  • C. The 9-11 month shorter bedaquiline regimen
  • D. The 18-20 month longer regimen

Q11. With reference to the WHO classification of drug-resistant tuberculosis, consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. MDR-TB is defined as tuberculosis resistant to at least both rifampicin and isoniazid.
  2. Pre-XDR-TB is MDR/RR-TB that is additionally resistant to any fluoroquinolone.
  3. XDR-TB requires resistance to rifampicin, a fluoroquinolone and all of the Group A drugs.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q12. With reference to the countries that together account for the largest share of the global tuberculosis burden as estimated by the WHO, consider the following. Which of the above is/are correctly identified as being among that group?

  1. India
  2. Indonesia
  3. Brazil
  4. Pakistan
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 4 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 4
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4