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Article History

Received: 4 May 2024

Accepted: 10 October 2024

First Online: 18 October 2024

Declarations

:

: This study received approval from the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) and the Institutional Human Ethics Committee (IHEC) at the National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOH), which is part of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). Additionally, permission to access data from the national TB program was granted by the Gujarat TB Operations Research Committee. Confidentiality and privacy of the data were carefully maintained by using anonymized identifiers, such as Nikshay IDs, to protect participant identities. The research was conducted in accordance with the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki, ensuring ethical standards throughout the study.The Institutional Human Ethics Committee (IHEC) at the National Institute of Occupational Health (ICMR) in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, waived the requirement for individual participant consent, recognizing the implied consent process used in the data collection. This waiver was granted after a thorough review of the study's retrospective secondary data analysis and the measures taken to maintain participant confidentiality through anonymized identifiers.

: Not applicable.

: The authors declare no competing interests.