With a 136 per cent increase in TB testing since 2015, Puducherry has emerged as a frontrunner in the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme. The Union Territory, which has recorded a 59 per cent reduction in TB incidence over the last decade, is now leading the way in India’s fight against tuberculosis. Interacting with a visiting team of national media persons from Delhi, officials of the Puducherry TB Cell expressed confidence that, with sustained efforts, the UT can declare 40 villages TB-free this year. Eight villages in Puducherry were declared TB-free last year.
The ten-member media delegation, led by Additional Director General of the Press Information Bureau Dr. Manisha Verma, is visiting Puducherry as part of a media tour organised by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The team called on Lieutenant Governor K. Kailashnathan yesterday at Raj Nivas. During the interaction, the Lieutenant Governor highlighted the UT government’s strong and committed efforts toward eliminating TB. Later in the evening, the delegation interacted with District Collector A. Kulothungan, Puducherry State Health Society Mission Director Dr. S. Govindarajan, State Tuberculosis Officer Dr. C. Venkatesh, Director of Health Dr. Ravichandran, and other officials.
District Collector A. Kulothungan underlined the robust infrastructure supporting the TB elimination programme, which includes 7 TB units, 28 diagnostic centres, and a top-ranked Intermediate Reference Laboratory (IRL) at the Government Hospital for Chest Diseases. Detailing the UT’s TB elimination achievements, State Tuberculosis Officer Dr. C. Venkatesh said nearly 100 per cent of presumptive TB patients in Puducherry are now tested using advanced molecular diagnostics such as CBNAAT and Truenat, significantly enhancing the accuracy and speed of diagnosis. He also noted that during the recent 100-day TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, over 3.8 lakh people were screened using AI-enabled handheld chest X-ray machines, and more than 15,000 presumptive cases were tested using NAAT for early detection.
Mission Director Dr. S. Govindarajan highlighted the pivotal role of Puducherry’s ten medical colleges, which contribute 45 per cent of TB case notifications and actively participate in Active Case Finding (ACF) drives. The contribution of 241 Ni-kshay Mitras in the UT, who have provided over 12,600 nutrition baskets to TB patients since 2022, was also appreciated during the discussions. The media delegation will visit the Ayushman Arogya Mandir in Villianur today to interact with TB champions, ASHA workers, Nikshay Mitras, and field-level health supervisors.
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