Dimapur, May 29 (MExN): Nagaland Users’ Network (NUN) and Bethesda Youth Welfare Centre in coordination with RNTCP Dimapur conducted a treatment literacy workshop on Tuberculosis with partner NGOs at the Centre for Community Transformation (CCT), Walford road, Dimapur on May 25.
NUN Advocacy Officer, Renbonthung Tungoe in a press release said that the objective of the workshop was to empower and mobilize the NGOs which work at the grassroots to complement and ensure quality service delivered by the RNTCP, whereby they identify key issues and challenges and highlight it to the government for appropriate and timely intervention.
The programme started with Dr. Talitoba, DTO Dimapur presenting the scenario of TB in the district and the services available with the RNTCP in Dimapur. This was followed by a topic on TB/HIV by Ketholelie, member, NUN.
Ketholelie in his topic talked about the burden of TB/HIV co-infection, how latent TB infection progresses to active TB, pill burden for PLHIVs on ART, what immuno reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) is, when to start ART, components of TB/HIV collaborative activities, what is isoniazid preventive therapy (IPT) and why it is necessary for PLHIVs to be on IPT and why it is not implemented by the state, what Co-trimoxazole preventive therapy (CPT) is, the three Is of the TB program, and what health care service providers based in NGOs can contribute to the programme.
In the afternoon, Renbonthung Tungoe facilitated the session on the basics of TB, how it is transmitted, what latent TB infection is, what pulmonary and extra pulmonary TB are, what DRTBs (MDR/XDR) are, treatment regimens used for treating TB on CAT 1, CAT 2 and MDRTB, IPT for children below 5 years of age when exposed to TB, what CBNAAT is and the services available for CBNAAT in Nagaland.
An open discussion followed, where questions were raised on cross referrals from RNTCP to ICTC, poor response from the government in implementing RNTCP in the state which is compromising the programme quality and service delivery.
