The Hindu Business Line : Raise TB awareness level, says PM

The Prime Minister, Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee, releasing the WHO report on `Global Tuberculosis Control'. He is flanked by Dr J.W. Lee, Director-General, World Health Organisation, and Ms Sushma Swaraj, Minister for Health and Family Welfare, at the inaugural function of `Second stop TB partner's forum' on the World TB Day at Vigyan Bhavan in the Capital on Wednesday. — Kamal Narang

New Delhi , March 24

GIVING a thumbs-up to India's campaign against tuberculosis, the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee, on Wednesday said that the country has made great progress in fighting the dreaded disease and by 2005 the entire country would be covered by the internationally recommended DOTS (Directly Observed Treatment, Short-course) strategy.

However, he added that the awareness level on the disease should be increased and campaigns similar to the AIDS-awareness programmes must be initiated.

"It seems to me that mass awareness campaigns about TB are not commensurate with the threat it poses. In recent years people's awareness about HIV/AIDS has increased significantly. We need a similar approach in the case of TB,'' he said adding as in the case of other communicable diseases, the most effective tool for prevention and treatment of TB is mass awareness.

Not all TB patients know that it is completely curable, he said while inaugurating the second meeting of the Stop TB Partners Forum. Mr Vajpayee said that the Revised National TB Control Programme , which was launched in 1997, has so far prevented 2.6 million infections and saved five-lakh. The DOTS strategy under this programme covered 800 million people and by 2005 the entire country would be covered by it.

"We should take TB control programme beyond Ministries and Government agencies. We should fully involve private medical practioners, drug companies, business houses, the mass media, NGOs, religious organisations and even popular icons from the fields of sports and films in this partnership,'' the Prime Minister said.

Speaking on the occasion, the Health Minister, Ms Sushma Swaraj, said India is politically committed at the highest level to fight TB. As there is a link between health and poverty, each nation must invest larger resources in the health sector.