"Recovered from TB in childhood, putting efforts to reduce mortality": Ramkumar S, Secretary (MD), NHM

By Shalini Bhardwaj
New Delhi [India], March 25 (ANI): Ramkumar S, Secretary and Mission Director (MD) of the National Health Mission (NHM) in Meghalaya, who himself recovered from Tuberculosis, said that they have launched the 100-day TB programme as well as the Comprehensive TB Care Programme in the state.
"In Meghalaya, we have launched the 100-day TB programme as well as the Comprehensive TB Care Programme under which we are planning to completely reduce the mortality or morbidity due to TB... We have already launched a differentiated TB care programme in which we have categorised people as very high risk, medium risk and low risk... So through this, we wanted to ensure that the mortality rate in the state of Meghalaya is reduced," Ramkumar told ANI.
He further stated that in childhood, he also recovered from TB, so it's important to create awareness against TB, especially among those who have experienced the disease in the past.
"We are very thankful to them because they understand the effect of TB, if it can come under someone's life, what can happen. In fact, I myself also as a child, who had markers for TB, and I also recovered from that. It makes a lot of impact when we have a lot of people who have already come over this hurdle and have done very well for them. We have actually pursued them, engaged with them, and requested them to promote the campaign and they have done.
As women leading the charge against TB through self-help groups he said, "I am very thankful to them, particularly women folk in Meghalaya, where it is a material society, and it helps a lot when it comes to women, there is a lot a lot more acceptance to the health related campaigns also. But we also want to have more of men also to get engaged in this campaign."
As the centre targets to achieve the elimination of Tuberculosis by 2025, Union Health Minister JP Nadda, on the occasion of World TB Day, announced the expansion of the 100 TB campaign.
The National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP) is implemented under the aegis of the National Health Mission (NHM). NTEP has made significant efforts to make India TB free. The incidence rate of TB in India has shown a 17.7 per cent decline from 237 per 100,000 population in 2015 to 195 per 100,000 population in 2023. TB deaths have reduced by 21.4 per cent from 28 per lakh population in 2015 to 22 per lakh population in 2023. (ANI)