Fighting tuberculosis: Why other states should follow Telangana and Andhra

Fighting tuberculosis: Why other states should follow Telangana and Andhra Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have thousands of unqualified traditional practitioners who mainly work within communities and wield trust among them

Health News: In May 2016, 14-year-old Yesu from Vijayawada city was diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB). The diagnosis came about thanks to the ‘Little Doctors’ Club’ in his school, which is among 139 such health clubs being run in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana by World Vision India, a nonprofit organisation, in collaboration with the respective State TB offices.

Part of World Vision India’s Focused Approach towards Childhood Tuberculosis (FACT) project, these health clubs have engaged nearly 50,000 children. High school students from class 6 upwards are taught to identify symptoms of TB--weight loss, cough prolonged over two weeks, and fever. The awareness thus created is expected to enhance TB case detection and treatment success rates in schools and communities.

When the health club at Yesu’s school suspected he had TB, he was referred to a government hospital for further tests. Once confirmed, Yesu informed his mother--the family’s involvement being crucial to ensuring that the tough and long treatment regime is completed--and his peers, as part of the programme’s effort to reduce the stigma associated with TB. The diagnosis, and treatment, have been tough for Yesu--both physically and emotionally. Just a few months earlier, his father, a small trader, had died of multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB), unable to bear the severe side effects of treatment, which he had discontinued. So when Yesu was diagnosed, his mother Jayalakshmi (they both shared only their first names) ensured that he completed his regimen. Yet, he was diagnosed with MDR-TB a few months later, meaning he had to prolong his treatment by two years.

Yesu is among an estimated one million children under the age of 15 who contract TB each year, according to...read more

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