‘Swasthya Nagaram’ model for TB-free municipalities launched in Telangana

Hyderabad: A model for tuberculosis-free (TB-free) municipalities, Project ‘Swasthya Nagaram’, was launched in neighbouring Medchal Malkajgiri district of Telangana on Tuesday.

This model for TB-free municipalities is an innovative approach to demonstrate ending TB in urban settings, where social determinants have huge impact on increasing the TB burden, with an approach of surveillance, prevention and quality TB care with the engagement of multi stakeholders, an official release said.

Active TB screening using a digital app and diagnosis using X-ray along with upfront molecular tests will be the primary focus of the model to ensure early diagnosis and prevention, it said.

The model will be implemented in urban settings of Peerzadiguda, Boduppal and Pocharam Municipal Corporation of Medchal Malkajgiri district over a period of three years.

It envisages a one-third decline in TB incidence, bring down TB related mortality and catastrophic costs being incurred by patients, it said.

Telangana's Commissioner of Health and Family Welfare R V Karnan launched the ‘Swasthya Nagaram’ project (virtually), unveiling the project brief.

“This model will help in building ownership among urban local bodies towards the TB-free initiatives and create an open channel of communication on the quality and availability of TB services in urban settings”, Karnan said.

“Internal migration and mobility and growing slum dwellings contribute to the spread of tuberculosis. Interventions through this model in urban settings will certainly help in restricting TB disease's spread beyond city limits,” said Dr Rajendra P Joshi, Deputy Director General TB, Central TB Division, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India in his inaugural address.

He further said the Central TB Division will extend its full support for making this project a successful model and further replicate in other urban settings, beyond Hyderabad.

The project will also address the vulnerability to TB due to migration and urban behavioural changes towards health-seeking behaviour and demand-driven services.

The activities also include vulnerability mapping, engaging all care providers, childhood TB detection, complete treatment of all forms of TB, differentiated TB care, airborne infection control, training and capacity building of all key staff and stakeholders, multi-sectoral coordination, engaging industries/corporates with workplace interventions, social support linkages to TB-affected families and epidemiological and operation research, the release added.

Inputs from PTI