Tuberculosis (TB) Project

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of India's major public health problems. According to WHO estimates, India has the world's largest tuberculosis epidemic. Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS) is playing an increasingly important role in ensuring that TB cases are treated successfully and stigma and discrimination against the patients is eliminated. With the aim to reduce the raised burden of MDR TB, IRCS addresses vulnerable category of patients to retreatment patients. Their treatment is being supervised and follow up is adhered to.
Since 2009, IRCS has been working for TB patient in different states at the community level. In 2017 Indian Red Cross society targeted 700 cat II patients in selected pockets of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Gujarat. The project covers awareness meetings, care and support, patients counseling, IEC activities and discussion sessions at the government health facility within the designated TB units.

Goal and Objectives:

• • To ensure that Catt II TB patients, i.e. those who have stopped DOTs treatment without completion, are put back on treatment until they are cured.
• • To ensure effectiveness of treatment by providing care and nutritional support to the most vulnerable TB cases.
• • Prevention of Multi Drug Resistant TB.
• • To reduce the number of deaths, illness and impact from Tuberculosis and MDR TB in target areas.
• • To reduce the stigma and discrimination around TB through behavioural change communication and inclusion of TB patients in main stream.