Uttar Pradesh Minister for Medical and Health, Family Welfare, Maternal and Child Welfare, Jai Pratap Singh, said that private sector engagement programmes would be rolled out in the next few months in 22 districts to boost TB eradication efforts in the state.
He also said that gram pradhans (village heads) would be provided with pertinent TB-information as part of training modules developed by Panchayati Raj department which would help in effective dissemination of relevant information across all levels of the community.
Singh was speaking at a media sensitisation workshop on tuberculosis, organised by the Directorate of Medical and Health Services (UP) and Global Health Strategies in Lucknow on Thursday.
The health minister said that outreach initiatives were being rolled out in three phases to increase awareness about TB among adolescents and teenagers studying in government schools, in association with the Red Ribbon Club.
“As part of the state government's commitment to the TB elimination programme, we are working in mission mode to offer excellent and regular treatment to TB patients in order to completely eradicate the disease from the state. The state government is ensuring coordination between various departments aiming to transform the eradication programme into a mass movement," Singh said.
The health minister informed the participants about the successful implementation of a door-to-door campaign carried out by ASHA workers recently during the course of which TB patients were also identified. He noted that during the additional campaign carried out in January, March and July 2021 as part of active case findings, a total of 19,664 new TB patients were identified and these patients were now receiving appropriate treatment free of cost.
Singh added that the state had so far ensured holistic treatment and care support for 25,000 children under the age of 18 who are suffering from TB.
“These children are receiving nutritional benefits from a range of government and private NGOs and other social collectives. Their families are being given appropriate social assistance as well,” he said.
Director, National Programmes, Directorate of Medical and Health Services, Dr Jyoti Saxena, State TB Officer Dr Santosh Gupta and professor of pulmonology at KGMU, Prof Surya Kant also attended the workshop.