A policy framework will help guide workplace strategies and interventions for tuberculosis (TB) care and prevention, especially in those places which do not currently have mechanisms in place to detect, treat and empower people with TB”, said Rajeev Arun Ekka, Principal Secretary, Dept of Labour at a dissemination meeting held here on Monday.
The meeting was organised by REACH, in association with the State TB Cell, Jharkhand, and supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The policy framework covers people working under all forms of employment and all workplaces covering formal and informal sectors.
Dr Nitin Madan Kulkarni, Principal Secretary, Department of Health, said, "TB is not just a disease that affects the body, it is a social disease, and can have far reaching implications, including impact on family as well as on work."
Speaking about need to end social stigma which people affected by TB suffer, Shailesh Kumar Chaurasia Mission Director, National Health Mission said, “The right to a dignified workplace is the right of every worker, and we need to ensure their health problems are prioritised.” Also speaking on the occasion, Dr. Rakesh Dayal, State TB Officer spoke about the policy’s coverage of TB as well as other diseases that co-occur, i.e., comorbidities.
“Treating people with TB is not enough; we need to also address comorbidities such as diabetes and HIV. And this policy, one of the first in the country looking at both TB as well as comorbidities in the workplace, is a step towards that direction,” he said.
The occasion saw the release of the State Impact Report of the TB Call to Action project, implemented in Jharkhand since September 2016 by REACH. The report summarises the key results and achievements of the project, including the following – over 50 TB survivors from 23 districts of the state trained as TB Champions; over 2100 people with TB provided support services by TB Champions; and more than 30,000 people in the community sensitised by Champions. The report also highlights a survivor-led registered network ‘TB Elimination Jharkhand’ (TEJ) which has more than 400 TB Survivors as members.
A compilation of stories of courage and perseverance of TB survivors and Champions from Jharkhand was also released on the occasion. The stories trace the transformational journey of TB survivors, who have now become TB Champions and are supporting others affected by TB.
Nirmal Kerketta, TB survivor and Champion from Gumla district, and member of TEJ, described how his life had been impacted by TB, and shared his experience of working with people affected by TB in the community in his district. “I wanted to make sure people with TB do not the face same difficulties I did. That is why I travelled on my cycle to make people aware on TB as the first step towards ending the stigma, and in order to connect them to care.”
Thanking various partners and stakeholders in State, Smrity Kumar, Project Director, REACH said, “We are grateful to have worked in partnership with State TB Cell and Health and Labour Department to catalyse a multi-sectoral, community-led and collaborative response to TB in Jharkhand.
We have achieved several milestones during the project period and hope that it leads to a community that is free of TB-related stigma and discrimination, along with a sharp focus on comorbidities.”