Nagaland Users Network, (NUN) conducted a sensitization meeting on Tuberculosis on March 14 and 15, at Mokokchung and Wokha town respectively.
The programme was facilitated by NUN coordinator and a member of the global Community advisory Board (TB CAB) Ketho, who highlighted the basic route of TB transmission, diagnostics and treatment and mentioned about the need for more response from the NGOs and Civil Society Groups in addressing this public health issue.
Ketho exhorted that since his association with Treatment Action Group (TAG) as a TB CAB member, he started acknowledging the various advocacy needs on TB in India as well as globally. In India, inspite of the RNTCP implementing its program since 1997, India continue to be the highest burden of TB in the world which signifies the total failure of the programme. In Nagaland, the cases of Regular TB and MDR TB also shows a considerable increase both in detection and treatment while lauding the State RNTCP division for their commendable achievement, he maintained.
Ketho, also spoke on some of the present challenges like Non release of Funds in time, Lack of proper diagnostics facilities, lack of treatment for XDRTB cases etc, and the need for conducting mass public awareness and sensitization meetings at the grassroot level, thereby engaging all sections of the community to partner together and unite to end TB in Nagaland.
He said, “unless the civil society is not part of decision making on policies surrounding TB, it is very unlikely that the program will be successful”.
He also mentioned about the upcoming World TB day 2016 on the 24 march at the state Level and also further encouraged the NGOs, Drug Users and the other participants to collaborate with their District TB program officers in observing the global event.