Sun Dec 29 20:55:56 UTC 2024: ## Tamil Nadu Launches Intensive Tuberculosis Elimination Campaign
**Chennai, December 30, 2024** – The National Health Mission (NHM) in Tamil Nadu has launched an intensified campaign to eliminate tuberculosis (TB) within 100 days, mandating immediate treatment for all notified cases and aggressive contact tracing. The initiative, a key component of the ‘Nikshay Shivir’ campaign, involves a multi-pronged approach focusing on identification and treatment of vulnerable populations.
Key measures announced include mandatory linking of patient bank accounts for direct benefit transfers, the development of an algorithm to identify at-risk individuals, and comprehensive mapping of individuals seeking treatment in both public and private healthcare facilities. The NHM has highlighted a significant gap between the current mapping of the population and the actual numbers, particularly in Greater Chennai.
The campaign targets asymptomatic individuals, urging referral for chest x-rays and follow-up, while symptomatic individuals will undergo x-ray, sputum testing, and smear microscopy/NAAT testing, with results uploaded to the Nikshay Shivir portal. The Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam scheme beneficiaries will be specifically targeted and mapped.
A central team from the Union Health Ministry will visit Madurai and Dindigul to monitor the campaign’s progress. District health officers have been directed to map vulnerable populations, particularly in slums and tribal communities, and bring all private healthcare facilities under the Clinical Establishments Act. Private institutions are also tasked with testing symptomatic individuals, with lab technicians in medical colleges responsible for portal data entry. Furthermore, the NHM encourages districts to seek Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funding to support the campaign.
First Piper 