Rajasthan's Ambitious TB Campaign: Aiming for Early Detection and Free Treatment

Rajasthan has undertaken an ambitious door-to-door tuberculosis screening initiative, as revealed by health officials on Tuesday. Since June 25, the campaign has successfully screened more than 7.4 million people. This effort is part of a larger mission to detect and treat hidden TB cases early and provide free treatment to those in need.

The 'active case-finding' framework specifically targets over 16.7 million individuals within high-risk groups by July 21. To date, more than 235,000 people displaying TB symptoms have been referred for confirmatory testing. The campaign aims to curb the transmission chain by identifying vulnerable groups such as HIV-positive individuals, diabetes patients, the elderly, and others.

A crucial component of India's national objective to eliminate TB by 2025, this campaign addresses chronic detection gaps through the use of digital technologies. Field staff employ mobile health apps for real-time screening updates, while rapid diagnostics ensure accurate lab results, assisting Rajasthan in leading the national effort for TB-free communities.

(With inputs from agencies.)