Nagaland Chief Secretary Dr J Alam administers TB Mukt Bharat in Kohima on January 27. (Morung Photo)
Our Correspondent
Kohima | January 27
Nagaland Chief Secretary Dr J Alam today called upon all the line departments in Nagaland to pull their socks up and intensify 100 Days campaign for eliminating Tuberculosis (TB) by 2025.
Addressing the meeting of Administrative Heads of Department (AHoDs) and Heads of Departments (HoDs) at Nagaland Civil Secretariat Conference Hall, Kohima, Dr. Alam called for intensive outreach and awareness actions required for the success of the campaign.
He also requested all the Deputy Commissioners to have proper review meeting and involve all the civil societies, Church leaders and other influential people in the committee to devise strategies for successful campaign and to achieve the targeted outcomes.
Since the launch of the 100 Days campaign for eliminating TB by 2025 in Nagaland along with the rest of the country, the state department of Health & Family Welfare through National TB Elimination Programme and National Health Mission (NHM) Nagaland) has embarked various steps for success of the campaign for TB free Nagaland.
In today’s AHoDs and HoDs meeting, Dr Alam administered TB Mukt Bharat pledge for eliminating the fear of TB with right knowledge, to be vigilant and end discrimination & stigma related to TB and to dedicate towards a TB- Fee Bharat.
Nagaland records 3843 TB patients
Anoop Khinchi, Commissioner & Secretary for Health & Family Welfare, Nagaland said that Nagaland state has about 3843 TB patients. He said that TB remains India’s biggest public health challenge with estimated 28 lakhs new cases occurring annually contributing to 26% of global burden mostly poor sections of the society. Kinchi said that the Government of India has committed to end TB by 2025 in the country, ahead of the SDG targets.
TB causes largest number of deaths among all the infectious diseases. Every year 3.5 lakh people die of TB in India, 1300 deaths every day.
He said that under nutrition increases the risk of development of TB and TB leads to worsening of under nutrition due to tissue breakdown. There is evidence that addressing the under nutrition among the TB patients, improves response to the treatment, reduces mortality and improves long term treatment outcomes. Good and balanced nutrition strengthens the immune system which results in breakdown of the infection before it converts to TB.
On September 9, 2022 President of India launched 'Pradhan Mantri TB Mukta Bharat Abhiyaan', also called the Nikshay Mitra Doner campaign.
He said that PMTBMBA has become the world’s largest crowd sourcing initiative for nutritional support and has received tremendous support from all sections of the society.
He encouraged the community to adopt TB patients and support in terms of nutritional support, supplements, and additional investigations for 6 months at the rate of Rs 500 per month. Under Nikshay Poshan Yojana, GoI is giving Rs 1000 per month during the treatment period.
A stratified 100 day campaign approach to finding missing cases reducing TB deaths and prevention of new TB cases was launched on December 7, 2024. It entails increased case detection increased of nutrition interventions and increased awareness in the community towards early detection and complete treatment of TB. It is being implemented in 3 high focus districts of Kohima, Mon and Wokha.
Call for active community participation
Khinchi said that active participation by community will help in spreading awareness and also accelerate fight against the stigma attached with TB. He sincerely appealed one and all to support for elimination of TB. Active participation of all and timely support in this nationwide campaign is very crucial, he said adding “The partnership with the Department will largely focus on strengthening collaborative activities we can conduct following activities. Display of IEC material in all offices, awareness generation of all staff on TB, dissemination of TB messages through various platforms, register Nikshay Mitra from various organizations, Screening of TB and Specific Activities in concerned departments.”
“We need to create awareness that TB is treatable and preventable and the treatment is effective. It is available free of cost in the Govt hospitals,” Khinchi said.
Overview on TB elimination campaign
Dr Vezokholu Theyo, State Programme Officer, National TB Elimination Programme, Nagaland, made a power point presentation on overview of 100 days campaign on TB elimination.
She said that India has the highest estimated burden of tuberculosis infection (TBI) globally, with nearly 35-40 crore Indian population having TBI, of which 28 lakh (18-36 lakh) are estimated to develop tuberculosis (TB) disease annually. 5–10% of those infected will develop TB disease over the course of their lives, usually within the first 2 years after initial infection. She said that TB can occur in any age and can affect any organ except hair and nails.
Dr Theyo maintained that with the launch of 100 days intensified TB Campaign, TB incidence rate (per lakh population) has decreased from 237 (in 2015) to 195 (in 2023).The target is to reach to 47. TB death rate (per lakh population) has decreased from 28 (in 2015) to 22 (in 2023). The target is to reach to 3.
Intensified TB campaign aim to accelerate TB case detection, reduce mortality, and prevent new cases through focused interventions in districts with the highest TB burden in a stratified approach. The campaign will impact positively towards the overall goal of reducing mortality and morbidity due to TB, she said.
