Background: India reportedly has a fifth of tuberculosis burden worldwide. There is a strong epidemiological evidence for an association between tuberculosis and diabetes mellitus (DM). Patients with diabetes are at increased risk of developing active TB, and have higher rates of treatment failure and death, even when placed on appropriate therapy. Objective: We sought to perform a comprehensive review of the convergence of these two epidemics in India and strategies for co-management. Methods: We performed a literature search of current knowledge including observational studies and clinical trials and other position papers, from databases such as, Medline, Embase, worldwide web and other repository of WHO and other international and national reports with the following search terms: tuberculosis, diabetes mellitus, co-epidemics, India, management and strategies. Results: Combined results from several cohort studies suggest that DM increases the risk of active TB by approximately three fold. This association between TB and DM will become more poignant in the coming years, as the prevalence of diabetes is expected to increase substantially in the developing nations. We describe the epidemiology of each disease in detail, and its convergence. We also discuss the challenges in co-management of TB and DM, including the role of nutrition. The article investigates the barriers, gaps in research data and opportunities to tackle this problem at the policy and grass roots level. The newly evinced approach of public private partnerships with market based partnerships for health (MBPH) need to be explored. Conclusions: Treatment of diabetes as a co-disease presents an opportunity for collaboration with the current TB control efforts to be expanded. Considering the existing public health infrastructure and the overarching private sectors' role in the co-management, standard

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Given the substantial contribution tribal population makes to the overall malaria load in the country, their role is important in the malaria elimination context. Assimilation of correct malaria preventive and care seeking behaviour among them, thereby, becomes very critical. Community level knowledge and practices regarding malaria can reflect on the extent of this assimilation. A cross-sectional survey of 482 randomly selected households was conducted in Umaria and Dindori districts of Madhya Pradesh using a semi-structured schedule to assess the community level knowledge and practices with respect to the causation, transmission, prevention and treatment of malaria. Descriptive statistics are used to determine relative frequencies and percentages. Chi-square test is used to determine the associations between the variables. Majority of the respondents (71.2%) were aware of the role of mosquitoes in the transmission of malaria. However, only 30% of the respondents reported the most characteristics symptoms of malaria, i.e., “fever with chills”. The awareness about transmission and symptoms was associated with educational status of the respondents as well as history of malaria infection. 65% of the households were using mosquito net bed and 57% burnt foliage/cow dung cakes to protect themselves from mosquitoes. Out of all the malarial cases, 61% sought treatment from government health facilities, while remaining from private facilities. Findings indicate that tribal groups generally possessed knowledge about malaria and engage in desirable behaviours for its management and control pointing towards their acceptance and assimilation of the government programme.