States asked to run TB screening camps in prisons and correctional homes in February health drive

New Delhi: The Union Home Ministry has asked the states to carry out special TB screening camps in prisons and correctional homes in February as a part of the Union Health Ministry’s special 100 days campaign to find out the missing cases.

In a letter to the states sent earlier this week, a senior official said since prisons ran the risk of becoming potential TB transmission grounds because of the closed space and crowds, screening camps could be organised between Feb 3-Feb 15.

On Dec 7, the Centre launched the 100-day campaign in 347 districts to find missing patients outside the treatment net. In the first 30 days, more than 1.48 lakh new TB cases have been identified after screening over two crore individuals.

Officials at the Central TB Division under the Union Health Ministry have mapped 25 crore vulnerable individuals such as people treated for TB in the past, those with diabetes, smokers, alcoholics, malnourished, over 60 years of age and people living with HIV. "Our target is to screen the vulnerable population in these 347 focus districts,” an official said.

The prison camps will be a part of the targeted campaign because inadequate screening and lack of awareness are seen as key challenges in controlling TB inside prisons. The camps will be run in coordination with district TB officers.

On Monday Union Health Minister J P Nadda chaired a joint strategy meeting with other ministers who shared the steps being taken in the ministries to improve screening so that more patients can be brought under the treatment net. For instance, screening for TB started in 156 ESIC hospitals under the Union Labour Ministry.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has earlier set a target of eliminating TB by 2025 – five years ahead of the UN deadline.

At the strategy meeting Nadda said, “The reduction in TB cases in India has been 17.7% which is almost double that of the global reduction. The treatment coverage has increased from 53% to 85% while there has been a 21.4% decline in the death rate due to TB from 28 lakhs to 22 lakhs.”

But notwithstanding such successes, India’s TB incidence is over two times higher and death rate three times more than the milestone goals set by the Centre to eliminate TB, according to the latest World Health Organisation report on TB.