Nagaland govt. committed to make the state TB-free by 2025, says Health minister

Our Correspondent
Kohima, Oct. 16 (EMN): Minister for Health and Family Welfare, S Pangnyu Phom on Friday stated that the government of India is committed to end tuberculosis (TB) by 2025 in the country, five years ahead of the global ‘End TB’ target of 2030.

Phom said this while launching a booklet, ‘TB Harega, Desh Jeetega!’—an elected representative’s handbook on Tuberculosis’, in Kohima.

He informed that the National Strategic Plan (NSP: 2017-2025) outlines ambitious strategies and several innovative steps in implementing the National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP).

“Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment are important for ending (TB),” he said.

Phom added that to achieve the same, the NTEP has expanded its facilities with state-of-the-art molecular diagnosis, availability of free treatment for both drug sensitive and drug-resistant TB cases, nutritional assistance to patients through NIKSHAY Poshan Yojana (NPY), and financial schemes to reduce the ‘catastrophic cost of patients and their families’.

He informed that the performance of the states is assessed on the state TB score index annually. Nagaland, he reminded, was ranked the second best-performing state in the smaller state category (less than 50 lakh population) during the year 2019.

He stated that Nagaland was acknowledged with performance recognition during the release of the annual India TB report 2020 launched by Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Harsh Vardhan on June 24 through video conferencing.

“TB continues to put a heavy burden and place the poor and vulnerable population with aggravating disparity,” said Phom.

NTEP Nagaland is committed to reducing the TB burden in terms of incidence, prevalence, morbidity, and mortality to make the state free from tuberculosis in line with the NSP while responding to the government of India’s call to end TB by 2025, he maintained.

Phom informed that the union Health minister had launched the booklet at the national level on September 25, 2019 in New Delhi.

Earlier, the state IEC officer, Thungchanbeni M Humtsoe, informed that the main purpose of the handbook was proactive engagement for elected representatives such as MLAs, members of Zila Parishad, VDB members and gram panchayat or gram sabha.

“The involvement of elected representatives will help in addressing social stigma because of TB and to promote advocacy and community involvement in TB programme,” she said.

She also shared some roles that the elected representatives can play to eliminate TB by 2025, five years ahead of the sustainable development goal timeline in 2030, while adding that the handbook will be helpful and useful while conducting advocacy and community meetings.

Meanwhile, state TB officer, NTEP, Dr. Robin Lotha informed that Nagaland was the first among the north-eastern states to launch the handbook.

He added that the state had crossed its target (4000) in the year 2019 with an achievement of 4802 (total patients notified).

He informed that Dimapur with 1036 notified patients, Kohima with 414, Mon 365 and Tuensang 191 have higher prevalence rates while Longleng with 35 notified patients has the least followed by Kiphire with 53 notified patients in 2019.

The official also informed that in 2020, the state had a target of 5000 but the activities were hampered by the Covid-19 pandemic as their staff were also deputed for Covid duty.

He, however, assured they will give their best efforts during the remaining months.