‘Kashmir division witnesses 5500 TB cases per year Stakeholders meet for better tuberculosis care To facilitate better coordination and performance in tuberculosis care and controlin Kashmir, J&K Voluntary Health Association (JKVHA) under Axshya Project with Directorate of Health, Kashmir organized a one daymeeting of all stakeholders including RNTCP staff, NGO partners, district tuberculosis officers and representatives of Voluntary Health Association of India and International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease. The meet among others was attended by Director Health Services Dr Saleem ur Rehman, renowned physicianDr GQ Allaqaband, Executive Director JKVHA AM Mir, State Tuberculosis Officer for Kashmir Division Dr GA Wani,Dr Batnagar from VHAI and Dr BR Babu from Union. Kashmir division annually witnesses detection of around 5500 TB cases and the number of deaths per annum by TB is around 30, the speakers said on the occasion. Speaking on the occasion Director Health, Dr Saleem urRehman spoke about the better coordination between the Health Department and NGOs who are working on social awareness at grassroots level in the community for the better results. He said the menace of tuberculosis is more serious and difficult to control as compared to HIV. “Kashmir does not face threat of AIDS rather it is tuberculosis which is a threat here, as it is easily communicable and can be acquired without any self control whereas in case of HIV a person can do so,” Rehman said. He said with the help of NGO and JKVHA, Health Department has to work seriously to achieve the goalof 50 percent mortality rate by TB in 2015 and full eradication by 2050. DR GQ Allaqaband stressed on better coordination and involvement of community leaders, particularly Imams of the mosques for the awareness about the symptoms of TB and availability of medical facilities particularly DOTS. AM Mir talked about the challenges faced during the sensitization for cure and control in the society and thesocial stigma related to tuberculosis which forces patients either leave the treatment halfway or bearingit silently without going for treatment. Dr Babu and Dr Batnagar talked in detail about the Akshya program, the NGO intervention in sensitization programs. “We cannot work in isolation for eradication of tuberculosis, rather we have to work with the government,” said Dr Batnagar, requesting for thegovernment support. Axshya, which means no tuberculosis, is a program run by VHAI with the supportof International Union againstTuberculosis and Lung Disease for cure, control anderadication of tuberculosis across India. Its goal is to decrease morbidity due to drug resistant TB and improve access to quality TBcare and control services through enhanced civil society participation. Axshya was launched in Jammu and Kashmir with the local partner JKVHA in 2011 in Budgam, Pulwama and Srinagar and later was extended to Barmulla districtin 2012.
Posted on: Fri, 23 Aug 2013 04:19:54 +0000