Salem Social Service Society Sustainable Development Goal

Axshya meaning "free of TB"

With some 2 million new cases of TB yearly, India bears the highest burden of TB globally. It also has among the highest number of MDR-TB cases. While India's national TB programme, the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) has done an outstanding job, it is now also well recognized that the spread and complexity of TB in the country requires a concerted effort from multiple stakeholders across all sectors working together to tackle it, and not just from the government. This would expand access to TB information and services, increase the accountability of service providers, and empower communities - objectives crucial to TB care and control in India's setting.

SSSS has undertaken TB control program in Salem district with the support from Catholic Health Association of India (CHAI) since October 2010.

GOAL:

To decrease morbidity and mortality due to drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) in India and improve access to quality TB care and control services through enhanced civil society participation.

Activities:

It will cover a range of activities to empower communities on TB control:

1. Involve all health care providers to increase the reach of TB services.
2. Ensure the rational use of drugs and diagnostics.
3. Provide access information and treatment for TB - women, children, tribal populations, communities living in geographically difficult areas and vulnerable groups, such as people co-infected with TB and HIV.

THE PROJECT REACH:

No. of community-level meetings conducted	33
No. of participants	660
No. of indirect beneficiaries	60000
No. of special events conducted	4
No. of participants of special events	450

Outcome of the community Level meetings:

1. Awareness generated on TB and RNTCP.
2. Enhanced awareness on TB centres at the nearest locations
3. Increased referrals of TB cases
4. Motivate / Initiate cases on TB treatment
5. Decreased default cases.
6. Reduce myths and misconceptions on TB and its treatment