The National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP) in Puducherry has earned recognition from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Services for achieving a 40%-59% reduction in TB incidence from the 2015 baseline.
It was recently honoured with the silver medal under sub-national certification for progress towards the TB-free status.
According to a press note from S. Govindarajan, State TB Control Officer, the Revised National TB Control Programme (RNTCP), implemented since 2004 and now renamed as NTEP, is aimed at decreasing mortality and morbidity and cutting the transmission of infection until TB ceases to be a major public health problem. The Government of India has committed to the elimination of TB in the country by 2025, five years ahead of the goal.
The NTEP Puducherry has formulated strategies to achieve elimination of TB in accordance with the guidelines of the Central TB Division. The TB Elimination Document, formulated recently, included strategies such as surveillance of close contacts of infectious cases and screening for co-morbidities, including HIV, and their management.
The document also envisaged cross-border collaboration with Tamil Nadu as there is a high influx of patients from outside the Union Territory and addressing major vulnerabilities, including tobacco, malnutrition and indoor air pollution.
The strategies were formulated with the help of stakeholders and approved by the Central TB Division.
According to data, India still has the highest burden of TB infection (TBI) globally, with 5%-10% of those infected developing active TB over the course of their lives, usually within the first two years after infection. In this context, the appropriate use of TB Preventive Treatment will play a crucial role in efforts to eliminate TB in India. This makes it imperative to bring the close contacts of infectious cases under the TB Preventive Treatment to avoid the spread of the disease.
The NTEP Puducherry was felicitated in the past for the Best Performing Union Territory on TB Index Score 2019, for Excellence in Public Administration in 2020 and with the bronze medal under sub-national certification for progress towards the TB-free status for attaining a 20%-39% reduction from the 2015 baseline in 2021.
