Students have also been encouraged to adopt cases and follow up with the families to ensure that the patient sticks to the treatment.
With 22 lakh new cases diagnosed every year, tuberculosis has stopped being a silent killer since long. And, hence, universities too have now joined the fight against the disease in an attempt to mobilise the youth population to spread awareness on it in far-flung areas of the country.
Vice chancellor of North Maharashtra University Dr Sudhir Meshram, speaking at a conclave in Mumbai, said, "Student participation can make a difference. We have around 15,000 who are a part of the NSS, and 2,100 enrolled with the NCC. These students conduct awareness campaigns in the area."
Students have also been encouraged to adopt cases and follow up with the families to ensure that the patient sticks to the treatment.
Dr Devesh Gupta, additional DDG-TB of the ministry of health & family welfare, said that to reduce the burden of TB cases in the country, focus would be on universal access and quality TB treatment. "We have also extended RNTCP services to patients in the private sector in some areas by partnering with other organisations," he added.
While the Revised National TB Control Programme (RNTCP) has been in place in the country since 1997, the stigma attached to the air-borne disease remains high with several patients dropping out early.
Stressing on the need to mobilise resources and funding for the disease, Kavita Ayyagari, project director, Challenge TB, stressed, "Our focus should be on averting the deaths due to TB because it is a curable disease. There is a 66% deficit in funding, which needs to come from different sources."
Mumbai-based Praja Foundation's recent report on the status of health in the city too highlighted the dismal situation with regards to the disease. According to the report, on an average, 19 people die of TB everyday in the city.
TB facts
India has the highest number of TB cases in the world.
Out of 96 lakh TB cases detected every year, 22 are in India.
India has over 71,000 notified cases of MDR-TB (multi-drug resistant-TB).
India reports more than 3 lakh TB deaths every year.
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