Shillong, Dec 9 (PTI): The Meghalaya Government, which has adopted a ‘jan andolan’ (people’s movement) against Tuberculosis, on Friday received an award for best practices in controlling the disease that affects 2.6 million people in India every year, officials said here.
The award for Best Practice in Advocacy, Communication and Social Mobilisation in Tuberculosis Control was presented to representatives of the Health department at a national workshop, aimed at ending TB infections, in the national capital.
Chief minister Conrad K Sangma took to Twitter to congratulate the team that led the relentless drive in the State.
“Meghalaya was awarded for Best Practice in Advocacy, Communication and Social Mobilization in Tuberculosis control at the National Workshop on ACSM to end TB in India,” he stated.
Despite the pandemic impacting service delivery and TB notifications, innovative mitigation strategies were deployed to ensure that notifications were back to pre-pandemic levels, State TB officer M Mawrie told PTI.
The State registered 3,847 cases this year as compared to 4,189 TB cases in 2021. Of the total cases detected this year, 249 cases are found to be resistant to medication, the officer said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had put a national target to eliminate the disease that affects over 26 lakh Indians each year by 2025, five years ahead of WHO’s Sustainable Development Goals, the officer said.
A National Strategic Plan for TB Elimination (2017-25) has also been launched reorienting the programme’s focus to ensure greater community engagement.
The TB Mukt Bharat campaign, or ‘Jan Andolan’ to build greater awareness, remove the stigma and generate demand for services is running smoothly across the State, the officer said.
