Senapati: Outer Manipur MP Dr Lorho Pfoze flagged off project titled “An innovative approach for engaging students and women organizations to improve TB case finding and treatment adherence: A step towards tuberculosis elimination in Senapati district.”
The program was held at DRDA Hall, Senapati, under the theme “Community involvement as a catalyst for TB elimination” in the presence of Losii Dikho, MLA 48-Mao AC and Dr Sanjay Kumar Mattoo, Addl Dy Director General, Central TB Division, Govt of India, Mamoni Doley, IAS, DC, Senapati and Dr Padmapriyadarsini, Director, ICMR-NIRT.
Dr L Muanching, DTO, NTEP, Senapati in her address urged the gathering to renew their commitment and join hands together with dedication and hard work to eliminate TB from the district.
The DTO mentioned that the President of India launched PMTBMBA in September 2022. Under the program, a NIKSHAY Mitra or donor was searched to give nutritional/vocational support to a TB patient. The 3 MLAs of Senapati district supported each TB patient under their respective constituencies. On September 13, 2023, during the launching of Ayushman Bhavah, to commemorate one year of PMTBMBA, the best individual and corporate society NIKSHAY Mitras/donors were selected and honoured.
MLA Losii Dikho was selected as the best individual NIKSHAY Mitra in the state who supported 26 TB patients under his constituency for 6 months. Dr Sanjay Kumar Mattoo, Addl DDG, CTD handed the award to the MLA. To continue PMTBMBA, the DTO is stated to be searching for such donors in the district including local representatives, corporate society, politicians, political party, institutions, and administrators, NGOs including churches or any individual.
Giving the project presentation, Dr A Stephen, Scientist-C, ICMR-NIRT stated that the program was taken up in the district with ICMR-NIRT, National TB Elimination Program, Directorate of Health Services, Manipur, RIMS, Imphal, Senapati District Students Association, Senapati District Women Association. The program is stated to be part of the PM Modi launching campaign to eradicate TB from India by 2025.
Govt of India came up with NSP 2017-25 addressing those hard to reach groups and recommended “Active Case Finding” among them as a strategy to detect the missing TB patients. However, there are some states including Manipur that were not able to implement active case finding activities as per 2019-2020 India TB report.
The project is said to determine incremental increase in TB case finding and improve treatment adherence and outcome as compared to usual TB programs. The program is aimed be a model project/demonstrative project, community-led project and to involve students and women organizations as volunteers.
Volunteers are to follow the 4 pillars of National Strategic Plan to detect, build, treat and prevent the disease. They will reportedly help in TB case findings in their respective village, collect sputum and transport it to help in monitoring treatment adherence. The volunteers have reportedly finished their preparatory phase where the intervention phase would begin from September 27.
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The scientist also mentioned that the project was introduced for early TB diagnosis, better treatment outcome, reduced cost, reduction in mortality, transmission and prevalence of TB. The project is reportedly implemented in the district thinking there could be many TB cases in the district as no TB prevalence study has been conducted till date, to save and protect loved and dear ones and society from TB as well as to show example to other districts/states/world how TB can be controlled by involving community.
Many in the region suffer due to financial problems, long travel requires, no one to take to hospital, fear of stigma/discrimination from others or fear of losing wages or majority are ignorant of TB seriousness, its symptoms and where to seek care. The main purpose of the project is to reach the unreached population in far flung areas, to sweep the society from TB and to nominate the district for TB Free Senapati.
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Dr Padmapriyadarsini in her address stated that the Govt has introduced different projects for TB free, panchayats, TB free district. Starting from panchayats, the director urged to become TB free Senapati district while other districts and states are also coming up with different projects to eliminate TB with involvement of different personalities. “No other hill districts have come up with such idea through involvement of community level,” she said. While terming as a good model, the director urged all to make the project a success to show to other places how such community involvement can help to eliminate TB.
In his keynote, Dr Sanjay Kumar Mattoo, ADDG, CTD stressed on the need to eliminate TB from the country where many died without knowing what they suffer from. The ADDG, CTD stated that implementation of the project could find out TB cases in the far flung areas that had not been reached in the district. He said that the step could be meaningful not only for the district, but for the whole state as well as the whole country. Adding lack of awareness and health facilities is one big problem in the region that has left the place more vulnerable. While hoping to achieve with great success, the ADDG, CTD urged to fight against the spread of the disease and make Senapati TB free district.
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Dr Sumpi Percy, CMO, Senapati in her address stated that the most important strategy to eliminate TB is active case finding where systematic identification of people with suspected TB cases are treated accordingly. The CMO also congratulated the DTO, NTEP, Senapati for introduction of the project to make Senapati a TB free district.
Mamoni Doley, IAS, DC, Senapati called a step forward to make the district free from TB through active participation of the district CSOs. The DC then assured all possible help from the district administration to make the project a successful one.
MLA Losii Dikho in his speech lauded the CSOs for their active participation where he mentioned that the state CM is also giving much importance to them. The MLA urged the CSO leaders to give their best to make Senapati a model district. While the nation’s PM has introduced different developmental projects that have been introduced, the MLA urged all for mass active participation starting from grassroot level. The MLA is hopeful to gain momentum when a movement is taken together by all.
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Speaking as the chief guest, Dr Lorho Pfoze said that the task that he has been entrusted with is not impossible but possible if all join hands together. The MP called for an important initiative where he is hopeful to be successful with involvement of CSOs in promotion of health. Dr Pfoze then urged the gathering to let Senapati be the first district to declare as TB free district, then to the state and country as well so as to target the achievement prior to achievement of what Prime Minister had announced to make TB free country by 2025. Later, the MP flagged off the project in the district.
The program was attended by DLOs, CEO, ADC, Senapati, different CSOs, church leaders, tribe leaders, village headmen and society leaders.
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