Fri Dec 06 16:06:02 UTC 2024: ## Kerala Launches 100-Day TB Elimination Campaign

**Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 6, 2024** – Kerala’s Health Department launched a 100-day intensive campaign, “A Popular Movement for TB-free Kerala,” as part of the national TB elimination program. The initiative, to be inaugurated by Health Minister Veena George in Pathanamthitta on Saturday, aims to significantly reduce tuberculosis (TB) cases through increased detection and treatment.

The campaign will utilize direct home visits by health workers and community-based detection camps. A key goal is to reduce the stigma associated with TB and ensure proper treatment and nutritional support for patients. The state also plans to increase awareness and encourage TB preventive therapy.

Recognizing vulnerable populations, the campaign will focus on elderly care homes, orphanages, prisons, and migrant labor camps. High-risk individuals, including those with diabetes, HIV, undergoing dialysis, or organ transplants, will receive special attention, with increased sputum examinations.

Kerala, already a leader in TB elimination efforts with a prevalence rate of 61 per one lakh population (compared to the national average of 166), will incorporate TB into its annual Aardram Arogyam health screening program. The campaign will involve various government departments, local bodies, NGOs, and community leaders. The state’s continued success is highlighted by initiatives like STEPS (System for Elimination TB in Private Sector), which earned national recognition last year.

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