India News | 100-day Long TB Elimination Drive Launched in Jharkhand
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. A 100-day-long tuberculosis (TB) elimination campaign was launched in Jharkhand on Saturday to quickly detect and treat TB patients.
Ranchi, Dec 7 (PTI) A 100-day-long tuberculosis (TB) elimination campaign was launched in Jharkhand on Saturday to quickly detect and treat TB patients.
Union Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth unveiled the campaign from Ranchi's Sadar Hospital in presence of Ranchi legislator CP Singh, state Health Secretary Ajoy Kumar Singh and other officials.
Under the programme, an intensive campaign will be carried out in four Jharkhand districts—Gumla, Simdega, Ramgarh and Hazaribag—that have been selected among 347 districts across the country by the central government to find and treat missing TB cases, especially in high-risk groups, and reduce TB deaths significantly, an official said.
Dr Kamlesh Kumar, state TB officer, said that the incidences of TB cases and mortality rate have been found high in these districts.
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The objectives of the campaign are to increase detection through intensified case finding drives using advanced screening and diagnostic technologies to reduce delay in diagnosis and treatment initiation, he said.
He said that the TB detection drive has been continued in Jharkhand.
“Since tests have been increased, the rate of new cases has gone up in Jharkhand. In 2022, around 56,000 new cases were detected, which increased to around 61,000 in 2023. In 2024, the number is likely to cross 65,000 marks,” Kumar said.
He said that the number of tests has increased manifolds in recent years.
“This year, we have already conducted six lakh tests. The number was earlier around 4 or 5 lakh annually,” he added.
Besides curing TB patients, the department has also focused on preventive therapy in a bid to check the spread of the infection, Kumar said.
Tuberculosis has been eliminated from 38 panchayats in Jharkhand and around 500 panchayats will be free from TB in 2024, according to an official statement.
He said that monthly support under Nikshay Poshan Yojana has been increased to Rs 1,000 per month from November 1 from the existing assistance of Rs 500 per month.
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