DIMAPUR — Health department under the National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP) conducted a review meeting-cum-refresher training on May 29 and 30 at the conference hall of the Directorate of Health and Family Welfare, which was chaired by the State TB Officer, Dr. Vezokholu Theyo.
An update from the Health department stated that Dr. Akuo Sorhie, NHM mission director, emphasised the need to hold regular review and refresher training in order to achieve the target and take the programme forward. She informed that there was significant scale-up in accessibility to diagnostic facilities and treatment services.
She also encouraged the districts to find more Nikshay Mitras, who voluntarily provide food basket nutritional support and emotional support. She further agreed to adopt 10 TB patients.
Dr. Collins Z Sono, WHO medical consultant, highlighted about the programme’s performance and informed that Mon district has screened more than 3500 presumptive TB followed by Longleng district screening more than 3000 in the first quarter from January-March 2024.
He also encouraged the districts to increase the screening of presumptive TB stating that it is one of the most important programme indicators.
Dr. Sono mentioned that Notification Achievement was 73% in the first quarter. He informed that districts like Mokokchung, Wokha, Longleng, Mon and Kiphire have achieved more than an average whereas some districts need to increase. He added that success rate was 80% and HIV known status for TB patients was 76%.
Report stated that all the district TB officers presented on different indicators like sub-national certification, PMTBMBA, TB Mukt Panchayat, advocacy communication and social mobilisation, private sector engagement, differentiate TB care, family care giver, involvement of HWC in NTEP, TPT/ 3HP, ACF and role of service providers (NGO) in NTEP.
The refresher training for DTOs and STSs on the second day covered various topics such as case concepts, role of CDST, TPT shorter regime, airborne infection control, ACSM, post treatment follow-up etc.
The meeting was attended by all the officers and staff of NTEP.
