Delhi targets to eradicate TB in the next 8 months

The LG office has said that Saxena has directed officials to work in a mission-mode to achieve the target of eradicating tuberculosis in the national capital during the next 08 months ahead of the national goal of year 2025

Delhi administration has fixed a target of eight months for eradicating tuberculosis from the national capital, Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena stated on Tuesday while reviewing the progress of Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan-- national mission for eradication of the disease.

Delhi lieutenant governor VK Saxena said that out of the 50,815 TB patients, around 46,028 (95%) have consented to be adopted for availing the benefits and community support. (PTI)

In an official statement, the LG office has said that Saxena has directed officials to work in a mission-mode to achieve the target of eradicating tuberculosis in the national capital during the next 08 months ahead of the national goal of year 2025.

Saxena said that he will be monitoring the roll out and progress of this scheme on a fortnightly basis.

Delhi has around 50,815 tuberculosis patients currently under treatment. LG Saxena said that out of the 50,815 TB patients, around 46,028 (95%) have consented to be adopted for availing the benefits and community support, through the TB elimination project.

A senior official from LG house explained that the support provided under this project includes, provision of nutritional support at ₹1000 per patient per month, free treatment and medicines. Saxena has directed that the pictures of all beneficiaries taking the nutrition kits should be uploaded online every time the distribution takes place, so as to ensure there is no leakage and transparency in the distribution system.

An official from the LG office said that besides the Nikshay Mitra scheme, a sum of ₹10 crores has been aggregated through CSR funding of various entities which was sufficient to cover patients who had opted for adoption under PMTB MBA.

“LG Saxena has directed that officers of the LG Secretariat, Delhi Police, MCD, NDMC, DDA should also be encouraged to become ‘Ni–Kshay Mitras’ and adopt patients. A program to launch such adoption will also be launched with participating government departments on the 15th October, 2022,” official added.

LG Saxena has also issued orders for dedicated days to be identified in coordination with the hospitals, clinics and dispensaries, where patients come for treatment and monitoring, so that batches of patients could come to receive their medicines and nutritional kits on the same day without facing the harassment of travelling multiple times, the official added.

The Nikshay Mitra initiative allows any individual to adopt one or more TB patients and look after their nutritional and medical needs, in a bid to break the stigma surrounding the disease in India.

Nikshay Mitras can be individuals, NGOs, political parties, corporates, institutions, elected representatives etc, and they can support TB patients from a period of 6 months up to 3 years for their nutritional requirements and medicines. The health ministry has set up a dedicated portal where interested individuals can register themselves are Nikshay Mitra.

At 2.6 million cases, India has the highest burden of Tuberculosis (TB) in the world, accounting for at least one-fourth of the global cases. The National TB Prevalence in India Report (2019-21) also suggests that the prevalence of microbiologically confirmed TB among those 15 years and above of age in India is 316:100,000 population. The highest Pulmonary TB prevalence of 534:100,000 is in Delhi, and the lowest of 115:100,000 in Kerala. TB has been one of the biggest public health challenges in India. India has committed to end TB by 2025 — ahead of the 2030 which is the target set under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).