Intensifying efforts on TB control, a workshop of stakeholders from Ayurveda department, Chemists Association, Rural Health Practitioners (RHPs), Drug Inspectors, Block Medical Officers and other health functionaries from the blocks in Kangra district converged in Dharamshala for participation in a training workshop of Tuberculosis Implementation Framework Agreement (TIFA) project on.
Held by the Department of Health and Family Welfare in district Kangra in collaboration with the Jhpiego organisation on Tuesday, the workshop aimed at working out a collaborative network to reduce delays in TB diagnosis.
Chairing the workshop, Chief Medical Officer, Kangra, Dr Rajesh Guleri said Himachal Pradesh is the first state to implement the unique project TIFA.
“It is a new initiative by the health department and Jhpiego organisation. We are including the Ayush service providers from both public and private sectors, all chemists of the district and the Rural Health Practitioners under this programme because these stakeholders can play a vital role in reducing delays in TB diagnosis,” he said.
He emphasised how crucial is the role of all stakeholders and the need for sustained collaborative efforts to overcome existing TB challenges and achieve the desired outcome.
Dr Guleri said as per the Indian tendency of poor health-seeking behaviour, the majority of the people generally ignore the symptoms and don’t seek health care at all. In India, nearly 70% of people initially seek help from nearby healthcare providers, including chemists and AYUSH practitioners, when experiencing symptoms of TB and due to repeated visits at the same healthcare level, the diagnosis gets delayed.
“So, with the specific training of the Ayush Providers, Chemists and Rural Health Practitioners we expect a considerable reduction in the TB diagnosis delay,” the CMO, Kangra said.
District TB Officer, Dr Rajesh Sood said the project was looking at reducing delays in TB diagnosis and care in Himachal Pradesh by integrating different stakeholders into a collaborative network connected with the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP) through the establishment of Cough Syrup Surveillance.
He demonstrated the set roles and responsibilities of each stakeholder like Ayush Healthcare Providers, Chemists, RHP, District Drug Authorities the NTEP (National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme). Dr Sood said all work responsibilities were stipulated under the project.
To implement this exercise on the ground level, a series of training sessions will be conducted in each block of the district with the help of Jhpiego, he added.
District Programme Officer, Jhpiego Organization, Praveen Chauhan delivered a detailed project overview, outlining the goals, objectives, and expected outcomes of the TIFA project. He emphasised the critical role of stakeholders in achieving project milestones and discussed strategies for capacity building and sustainable TB management practices.
Chauhan outlined specific objectives under the TIFA project Health Department in association with Jhpiego was going to take the help of technology especially TB Mukt Himachal Application, IVRS, and Ni-kshay to demonstrate a tech-enabled provider-centric model integrating different stakeholders into NTEP to expedite early identification of TB and also to implement a digitally enabled surveillance system at the provider level to track, monitor and report cough syrup sales to identify potential presumptive TB cases. He also demonstrated the further plan of the project at the block level.
As many as 15245 fresh TB cases were reported in Himachal Pradesh in 2023, out of which 3047 were diagnosed in Kangra, which is the biggest district in HP.
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