India Steps Up DR-TB Response with PeerLINC’s Experience-Sharing Workshop on BPaLM/BPaL Implementation

More than 130 physicians receive training on new, shorter DR-TB treatments

As part of India’s accelerated rollout of the WHO-recommended six-month, all-oral BPaLM/BPaL regimen for drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB), a total of 136 TB physicians from both public and private sectors gathered for high-level experience-sharing workshops in New Delhi and Mumbai. The event was hosted by the National Institute of TB and Respiratory Diseases (NITRD) and the State TB Office-Maharashtra, in collaboration with the National TB Elimination Program (NTEP) of India, TB Alliance, and PeerLINC–a knowledge hub dedicated to supporting the global scale-up of innovative TB treatments.

The workshop provided a platform for peer-to-peer exchange on the clinical and programmatic aspects of implementing the BPaLM/BPaL regimen, with a special focus on real-world case management, drug safety monitoring, and health systems integration. It builds on India’s landmark decision to adopt BPaLM/BPaL regimens into its national DR-TB guidelines in September 2024.

Participants and facilitators of the New Delhi experience-sharing workshop gather for a group photo following the ceremonial lamp lighting. The event, organized by PeerLINC Knowledge Hub, brought together TB physicians, public health leaders, and global experts to advance clinical and programmatic understanding of the BPaLM/BPaL regimen for drug-resistant TB in India.

“India’s commitment to swiftly operationalize these regimens is not only commendable, it’s critical,” said Dr. Ronald Allan Fabella, PeerLINC technical expert and former Senior TB Advisor at the Philippine Department of Health. “Through collaborative forums like this, we reduce the time it takes to turn policy into practice. What used to take years is now being achieved in a matter of months.”

Dr. Fabella presented implementation insights from the Philippines, a country that transitioned early to BPaLM/BPaL, and cited improved treatment success rates, and strengthened patient adherence.

Dr. Ronald Allan Fabella of PeerLINC discusses regional insights on TB burden and drug-resistant TB treatment outcomes during the BPaLM experience-sharing workshop in Mumbai. Fabella previously served as Senior TB Advisor at the Philippine Department of Health–National TB Control Program.

Participants engaged in interactive case discussions, including patient scenarios from both India and the Philippines. Trainers from India’s Centers of Excellence, PeerLINC, and NITRD facilitated peer-based learning on clinical decision-making, management of adverse events, and digital innovations such as the Manage TB India app.

“Peer exchange in settings like this helps us bridge the gap between data and delivery,” said Dr. Irene Flores, PeerLINC Senior Clinical Advisor. “The clinical cases we discussed today, both Indian and Filipino, show that BPaLM/BPaL can be adapted to a wide range of patient profiles. But it’s the shared decision-making, mentorship, and support systems that ensure success.”

Dr. Irene Flores, PeerLINC Senior Clinical Advisor and Principal Investigator for BPaL operational research in the Philippines, shares lessons from the country’s early adoption of the six-month BPaLM/BPaL regimen during the experience-sharing workshop in Mumbai..

PeerLINC, hosted by the Philippines-based Tropical Disease Foundation, offers tailored, cost-efficient technical support to countries adopting new TB treatments. Its efforts are guided by the principle that the faster effective treatments reach patients, the more lives are saved.

For more information on PeerLINC’s technical assistance programs: email info@peerlinc.org