Puducherry TB screening: Door-to-door active case finding drives help slash incidence by 59% compared to 2015 levels
'I tested positive for TB and later even my husband tested positive,' she said. The two are currently under treatment and are receiving monetary and nutritional support under the TB-elimination programme.
'In a bid to curb community transmission and bring down the incidence of TB, Puducherry has been conducting door-to-door active case finding drives that especially focus on vulnerable populations who might not display TB symptoms or worse don't have the time, access or knowledge to seek medical care,' explained S. Govindarajan, mission director, Puducherry State Health Society (PSHS).
He added that the idea behind the door-to-door campaign is to catch the vulnerable, at-risk patients who may be suffering without treatment and unknowingly becoming spreaders of TB.
'The idea is to ensure that no one is left behind and that nobody suffers without treatment and care. We have realised that the battle against TB needs us to ensure that patients get quicker and more accurate tests which translates into saving treatment time and saving lives,' he said.
Puducherry is on a fast track toward TB elimination, as eight of its villages were declared TB-Free this World TB Day (2025) — Sivaranthagam, Ariyur (N), Vathanur, Soriyankuppam, Kudiyirupupalaym, Pooranankuppam, Sembipalayam and Korkadu. C. Venkatesh, State TB officer added that Puducherry has slashed its TB incidence by 59% compared to 2015 levels.
'All suspected cases are screened using modern diagnostic tools – AI-enabled chest X-rays and NAAT. The door-to-door active case finding drives specially focus on vulnerable populations who might not display TB symptoms,'' he said.
He added that since the Union Territory is also seeing a rise in cases of diabetes and its association with TB patients are being educated and taught to monitor the condition. Diabetes is known to increases the risk of TB.
Meanwhile, speaking about the implementation of the Ni-kshay Mitra programme launched in September 2022 where the State TB Cell has mobilised community members to provide nutritional baskets to TB patients Dr. Venkatesh added that through 241 Ni-kshay Mitras, or donors, Puducherry has distributed over 12,609 nutritional baskets to TB patients, ensuring treatment adherence and recovery.
'As a result, more than 85% patients receive at least three food baskets through the course of their treatment – thus enhancing their recovery. This initiative complements the DBT scheme — Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana whereby patients are paid ₹1,000 per month as nutritional support through the course of their treatment. Here also in Puducherry 85% beneficiaries receiving all their entitlements,'' he added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
2 days ago
- The Hindu
Government to provide additional nutritional supplements for tuberculosis patients in Karnataka
The Health Department has issued an order to provide additional nutritional food in the form of nutrition powder for the first two months of treatment to tuberculosis (TB) patients who are weak owing to the disease. If a newly diagnosed TB patient has a body mass index (BMI) of less than 18 at the start of treatment, they are eligible to receive 6 kg of nutrition powder per month for the first two months. This distribution must be done through anganwadi centres for eligible beneficiaries in all districts, except Chitradurga, Ballari, and Tumakuru, which fall under the jurisdiction of the Karnataka Mining Environment Restoration Corporation (KMERC). 'From August 1, 2025, it must be ensured that the TB patients who are newly diagnosed and consuming the nutrition powder have their body weight measured and recorded in the Ni-kshay software and in the TB treatment card. The supplied nutrition powder must be stored properly without compromising quality,' stated the order, which has been issued to ensure better care and support for TB patients in Karnataka.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
UP governor stresses crucial role of Anganwadi centres in development of children
Kannauj (UP): Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel on Wednesday emphasised the crucial role of Anganwadi centres in ensuring the holistic development of children during early childhood. Speaking at a public programme here, she highlighted that a child's primary development begins at home under the nurturing care of the mother, an official statement said. "Neglecting nutrition during pregnancy may lead to weakness in the child. Just as a farmer cares for his crops, we must nurture our children with the same dedication," she said. Governor Patel said that nearly 200 types of viruses, including TB and cancer-causing agents, may be present in the body from birth, but can be controlled through a balanced and nutritious diet. Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's resolve to make India TB-free, she said that over four lakh TB patients have been cured in UP alone. The governor lauded the performance of Anganwadi children, stating, "It is commendable that children younger than the age when most hesitate to hold a microphone gave such wonderful presentations." On the occasion, she distributed 100 Anganwadi resource kits, five loan approval letters under the CM Yuva Udyami Yojana, 50 Ayushman cards , nutrition kits to 50 TB patients and certificates under various government schemes to numerous beneficiaries.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Time of India
No Radiologist, No Problem: Qure.ai's AI Takes the X-Ray Lead
By Staff When Prashant Warier co-founded nearly a decade ago, artificial intelligence in healthcare was largely experimental. Today, the company's AI algorithms are helping interpret millions of medical images each year — and in some countries, replacing the need for human readers in critical a conversation with ET Studios' Tech Heal moderated by Shilpa Rathnam, Warier, CEO of traced the company's origins to a specific gap in healthcare: chest X-rays — the most common and oldest form of medical imaging — were often not being read by radiologists. In India and other parts of the world, general practitioners or technicians often handled interpretation. In some cases, patients received no report at all. set out to automate that process, training AI models on a large volume of de-identified clinical images sourced through hospital partnerships. The company now works with over 100 healthcare institutions globally and has built a dataset exceeding 1.5 billion images. The company's flagship product, qXR, is a tool designed to detect abnormalities in chest X-rays — including signs of tuberculosis — in under 30 seconds. The tool is currently deployed in screening programs across several countries, including the Philippines, where mobile vans equipped with X-ray machines use qXR to produce real-time readings. Before deployment, such scans could take weeks to be interpreted. In 2021, the World Health Organization formally endorsed solution as an autonomous tool for TB detection, without the need for human review. Warier describes this as a key inflection point for the company. It is also now the most scaled use-case of autonomous AI in healthcare , with the system analyzing between 5 to 10 million X-rays annually. path to adoption has not been without challenges. AI used in clinical pathways is considered a medical device, which means every deployment must go through rigorous regulatory approval. The company spent three years obtaining its first FDA clearance in the U.S. and now holds 18 regulatory approvals, including CE certification in Europe. Each submission typically requires data from the local population and independent comparison against certified radiologists. Warier emphasizes that the role of AI is not to replace physicians but to support them. While automation can handle high-volume, routine imaging, tasks like diagnosis confirmation, treatment planning, and patient communication remain with clinicians. 'AI will be there throughout the patient journey,' he says, 'but it will be an assist.' Looking ahead, Warier expects AI to take over more foundational tasks in radiology — flagging abnormalities, creating template reports, and improving scan-to-diagnosis times. As India's digital health infrastructure evolves — particularly with the introduction of personal health IDs and medical data interoperability — Warier believes the accuracy and value of AI in healthcare will continue to rise. is currently active in 90 countries, with a growing presence in low- and middle-income regions where radiology expertise is scarce. The company's approach, Warier says, remains grounded in utility: 'We started by solving a problem nobody else was looking at.' Disclaimer - The above content is non-editorial, and ET Healthworld hereby disclaims any and all warranties, expressed or implied, relating to it, and does not guarantee, vouch for or necessarily endorse any of the content.
