Kohima, June 17 (MTNews): The National TB Elimination Program (NTEP) Nagaland has called for community support for TB patients, adding that community-oriented efforts can both help prevent the spread of TB, support diagnosis and treatment as well as reduce stigma.
Speaking at a media sensitization on Community Support for TB Patients organized by NTEP Nagaland held at the Directorate of Health and Family Welfare Kohima on Friday, State Program Officer NTEP Nagaland, Dr. Tiasunup Pongener, said that the government of India has set up an ambition target to eliminate TB by 2025, five years ahead of World Health Organization’s global target under Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2030.
He added that it is possible to achieve the target through concerted effort and that the government alone cannot achieve it without community support. He, therefore, called upon the individuals, NGOs, faith based organizations and the community to adopt a TB patient each to provide nutritional, treatment and vocational support to TB patients.
Presenting an overview of NTEP, WHO Consultant Medical Nagaland, Dr. Collins Z Sono said the impact of Covid-19 on TB Notification for the state of Nagaland has declined to 36 percent in 2020 and 34 percent in 2021 as compared to 2019. Dr. Sono, however, said that to mitigate the impact of Covid-19, actions such as regular monitoring and supervision at various levels of governance, active case finding campaign for TB, IEC activity and awareness generation activities, doorstep delivery of anti-TB drugs by health care workers to all TB patients for one month and others have been carried out in the state.