Will the drive to find-treat-prevent TB continue till we end TB ?

Shobha Shukla
Contd from prev issue
Another challenge is that ASHA workers have to bring people eligible for Cy-TB test to the nearest healthcare facility (wellness centre) and the person has to come again to get the results later. These multiple visits are a deterrent too and people may drop out of the care cascade.
“But we are making all efforts to mobilise more people and increase uptake of TB services. Our first supplies for Cy-TB have already exhausted and next supply is due,” shares Dr Sood.
There are technical challenges too. The Indian government uses a very important online system with the latest data of every person with TB enrolled in the programme, called Ni-Kshay portal. “Ni-Kshay platform, despite being very well designed, is overwhelmed with the load it has to handle now. So due to increased load, the server has become very slow,” said Dr Sood. His team is also using other methods such as Google Forms or WhatsApp to collect and record data or information. “But eventually it is the Ni-Kshay platform where we need to maintain the complete database. We hope that this will stabilize shortly.”
Investing in TB free movement and health systems
“We need more mobile medical units (Ni-Kshay Vahans) equipped with ultraportable handheld AI-enabled X-rays and resources to support intensified efforts to find, treat and prevent more TB. The more outreach we can do and the more X-ray machines we have, the more TB we can find. Also, we need more trained and skilled human resources to carry on this work till we succeed in our mission to end TB,” says Dr Sood.
Point-of-care and battery operated WHO recommended molecular tests like Truenat should also be made more available so that those found with presumptive TB on X-rays can take a confirmatory TB test on the spot.
India’s 100-days campaign to find, treat and prevent more TB in high-risk people must continue beyond 100 days. This initiative is an important shift towards ending TB, but it would be “too late, too little” if it ends on the 100th day. Such a drive to find, treat and prevent ALL TB must continue and expand population-wide in high-risk settings till we end TB.
Shobha Shukla is the award-winning founding Managing Editor and Executive Director of CNS (Citizen News Service) and is a feminist, health and development justice advocate. She is a former senior Physics faculty of prestigious Loreto Convent College and current Coordinator of Asia Pacific Regional Media Alliance for Health and Development (APCAT Media) and Chairperson of Global AMR Media Alliance (GAMA - winner of 2024 AMR One Health Emerging Leaders and Outstanding Talents Award). She also coordinates SHE & Rights Media Initiative (Sexual health with equity and rights). Follow her on Twitter @shobha1shukla or read her writings here www.bit.ly/ShobhaShukla)