E-Paper
Over 19000 kids found tuberculosis positive in Uttar Pradesh; screening drive to be expanded
Uttar Pradesh plans to expand TB screening for children under five after detecting over 19,000 cases. A special drive involved 35,488 screenings statewide.
The Uttar Pradesh health department is planning to expand tuberculosis (TB) screening among children under five years of age. The move follows the detection of over 19,000 TB-positive cases among children during a special screening drive conducted across 26 districts. Between January and October 25, a total of 19,232 children were diagnosed with TB in the state.
“We are now planning to extend the screening programme across the state,” said state TB officer Dr Shailendra Bhatnagar. The special drive was conducted by ASHA, ANM and other health staff.
The screening was carried out in districts including Lucknow, Aligarh, Agra, Ayodhya, Bahraich, Ballia, Basti, Balrampur, Bareilly, Bulandshahr, Fatehpur, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Ghaziabad, Gorakhpur, Hardoi, Jaunpur, Jhansi, Kanpur, Mahoba, Sambhal, Lakhimpur Kheri, Mirzapur, Prayagraj, and Varanasi.
A total of 35,488 children were screened. Officials said the high positivity rate was due to the intensified campaign, which specifically targeted children showing clear symptoms of TB.
“We have trained staff in Lucknow, and the process will continue as per the health department’s plan,” said Dr Salman Khan, paediatrician with the Uttar Pradesh health department and a master trainer for the campaign.
For the campaign, doctors and ground staff received specialized training before the launch of the drive. Officials said the success of the initiative has laid the foundation for expanding it across the entire state.
Master trainers, including doctors and paramedical staff, have been trained to lead the initiative. They will train local health workers in their respective districts to screen children based on TB symptoms, such as prolonged fever with no known cause.
