Chennai airport’s terminals wore a colourful look on Sunday night, as part of an initiative to bring awareness regarding tuberculosis.
On account of World TB Day on March 24, REACH, a non-profit organization working in tuberculosis care and prevention partnered with Airports Authority of India and lit up the terminals of the airport.
Ramya Ananthakrishnan, director of REACH, said that every day there were nearly 1,000 people who died due to tuberculosis in the country. Despite free diagnosis and treatments available, many still did not know that the disease was prevalent. Such awareness initiatives were essential because either people were not aware or there was stigma associated with the disease and they hesitated to get tested.
“Tuberculosis is one of the major public health challenges and if people have prolonged cough and fever lasting for a few weeks, they must get tested soon. They should be made aware that early diagnosis will ensure that people can completely recover. The treatment will last for 6-8 months,” she said.
As part of the initiative, there were digital displays creating awareness messages and the passengers too were given pamphlets. Chennai airport director C.V. Deepak said that in a transport hub like the airport which witnessed large footfall, such initiatives made a world of difference and people took note of it. “During the trials of the lighting itself, people were curious and started making calls to know what this is about. Such campaigns reach out to a large section and may go a long way helping with early diagnosis and recovery,” he added.
