‘World Tuberculosis Day’ is celebrated every year on March 24 to commemorate the discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (the agent which causes TB) by Robert Koch in 1882. The same was observed at Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences (SVIMS) with a focus on the current situation of TB in the country and the world.
SVIMS registrar V.S.R. Anjaneyulu related his experiences on TB treatment since the 1950s and emphasised the need for furthering the reach of Revised National TB Control Programme (RNTCP) to control the disease.
Medical superintendent V. Satyanarayana and Dean B.C.M. Prasad reiterated that TB control and elimination would require a concerted effort by people and the medical community, supplemented by a focussed approach.
Highlighting the importance of public-private mix in TB control, SVIMS Director and Vice-Chancellor B. Vengamma maintained that there was a need to spread awareness on the free diagnostic services and treatment offered by the government under RNTCP.
The event concluded with a presentation by the Department of Medicine head Alladi Mohan, which highlighted the details of various research projects on Tuberculosis and the contributions made by the university during the year 2013-14.
