Ganjam District Celebrates Major Milestone in TB Elimination Drive
The Ganjam administration marked a significant achievement in public health on Tuesday by felicitating representatives from 165 gram panchayats that have been officially declared free from tuberculosis. This recognition ceremony, held in Berhampur, awarded the national certification of TB Mukta Panchayat to these local bodies, celebrating their successful fight against the disease.
A Collective Effort Towards a TB-Free Ganjam
Member of Parliament from Berhampur, Pradeep Kumar Panigrahy, commended the elected panchayat members for their pivotal role in this achievement. He urged them to continue their efforts with the ultimate goal of making the entire Ganjam district free from TB. "It requires the involvement of all stakeholders," he emphasized, highlighting the collaborative nature of this public health mission.
This initiative is part of the larger TB Mukta Panchayat scheme launched by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated this program on March 24, 2023, with the ambitious target of involving local elected bodies to eliminate tuberculosis across India by 2027.
The Rigorous Path to a TB-Free Certification
Earning the TB Mukta Panchayat title is no small feat. The criteria are stringent and multi-faceted. A panchayat must demonstrate a sample collection rate of at least 30 samples per 1000 population. Furthermore, the number of active TB patients within the panchayat's jurisdiction must be zero or less than one per cent per 1,000 population.
Most importantly, certification is only granted if all notified TB cases have benefited from the support of Nikshay Mitra under the Prime Minister TB Mukta Bharat Abhiyan. This ensures that patients receive not just medical treatment but also crucial nutritional support.
Expressing optimism, Chief District Medical and Public Health Officer, Susant Kumar Nayak, stated, "Ganjam is in a good position both at state and national levels due to the cooperation of panchayats." The district has set a target to declare an additional 220 panchayats as TB-free by the end of March next year, with the aim of making the entire district TB-free by the 2027 deadline.
Tangible Results: A Decline in TB Cases and Deaths
The data reveals a promising downward trend. According to Bideshi Jena, the district coordinator for the National TB Elimination Programme, TB cases in Ganjam are consistently falling. From January to October this year, 4,986 cases were detected. This number is lower than the 6,540 cases detected in all of 2024 and the 6,698 cases recorded in 2023.
Perhaps the most encouraging statistic is the reduction in the death rate. Jena confirmed that the fatality rate, which stood at a concerning 4 to 4.5 per cent four years ago, has now plummeted to just 1.5 %.
A key component of this success is the Nikshay Mitra initiative, where community members 'adopt' TB patients and provide them with nutritional food for a period of six months. This year alone, approximately 3,500 patients in Ganjam have been adopted under this supportive scheme, playing a vital role in their recovery and the overall decline of the disease.
