State TB officials and TB Champions during the workshop held in at Kohima. (Photo Courtesy: DoHFW)
Dimapur, March 10 (MExN): Emphasizing the need towards ending tuberculosis by 2025, a two-day district level capacity building workshop for TB survivors was conducted at the Directorate of Health and Family Welfare (DoHFW), Kohima on March 8 and 9.
In a press release, Dr Tiasunup Pongener, State Programme Officer (NTEP), DoHFW informed that the workshop was partnered between National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP), Touched by TB, REACH, USAID project and ARK Foundation.
At the inaugural programme, Dr Raghavan Gopa Kumar, National Coordinator, New Delhi, highlighted that the role of TB Champions was to bring awareness about TB to the people and the need for seeking care and support for people with TB to undergo treatment and recovery.
Ketholelie Angami from ARK Foundation shared about rights based approach towards TB. Dr Apichetla Amer, Assistant Programme Officer, spoke on TB Science, ‘Getting the Basics of TB,’ understanding TB burden in India, pathways to TB Cure and psycho social support to TB patients. Temjenochetla Ao, PPM Coordinator, shared the role of TB survivors so as to end TB in the state, understanding NTEP Organogram (national and state), and advocating and conducting community awareness among different stakeholders.
Thungchanbeni M Humtsoe, State IEC Office, shared on the ‘effective communication and role of awareness in TB programme to end TB along with highlighting the importance of ‘TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan’ to create a ‘Jan Andolan’ to end TB by 2025.
The press release also stated that TB Champions from Kohima and Dimapur also participated in the workshop, and shared their stories about TB-symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and successful completion of treatment, side effects and how they coped with it.
Dr Tiasunep Pongener, State TB Officer, encouraged all the TB Champions to get engaged with the NTEP Programme and need to put efforts together in Eliminating TB by 2025.
