Indian State Health Department To Increase Community Involvement in TB Control Programs

The state health department in Tamil Nadu, India, is increasing efforts to involve community members in tuberculosis control programs, health secretary V.K. Subburaj said recently at the launch of the USAID REACH project, which aims to increase advocacy, communication and social mobilization in TB control, the Times of India reports. "We have realized that the TB program in the country ... was not successful because the community was not involved," Subburaj said, adding, "We will intensify our approach and actively involve the community."

Subburaj added that the Tamil Nadu health department is working on a three-pronged strategy to fight TB that involves awareness, access to drugs and research. The Tamil Nadu government has provided no-cost, second-line TB drugs to more than 1,300 people since the end of January at a cost of 2,000 rupees, or about $40, per person, Subburaj said, noting that the state government spends about 200,000 rupees, or about $4,000, per person to treat multi-drug resistant TB (Times of India, 2/25).