21-05-2025
City goes all out to eradicate TB, focus on slums
New Delhi: Delhi govt has initiated a comprehensive screening initiative targeting about 80 lakh vulnerable residents, primarily those living in slum areas.
Operating under the 'TB Free Slums' initiative, the systematic screening programme aims to eliminate tuberculosis from the city, supporting the national objective of achieving TB-free status by Dec 2025.
Health officials have identified more than 600 slum localities across Delhi. The screening will cover slum inhabitants, individuals at high risk (including those with hypertension, compromised immunity, diabetes and TB patient contacts), migrant labourers, homeless persons, JJ clusters, unauthorised settlements, and communal living spaces.
The year-long programme necessitates individual assessment within six months to decrease tuberculosis incidence.
This population group faces heightened risk and often remains undiagnosed, contributing to the spread of the infectious disease. Officials stated that effective TB management in these communities is essential for overall disease control.
A letter regarding the implementation of the
TB Free Slums initiative
was written to Dr Jyoti Jaju, director programme at The Union NGO, by Dr Nilesh Saini, the state TB officer in Delhi, on May 19 after getting approval from the authorities.
by Taboola
by Taboola
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The India TB Report 2024 indicates Delhi recorded 1,05,000 notifications in 2023 in the diagnostic cohort whilst the current cohort shows about 89,000 cases. Furthermore, the National Prevalence Survey 2021 indicates 69% of identified TB patients in Delhi did not pursue treatment. The initiative focuses on vulnerable groups, spanning community and healthcare settings, to enhance notification rates and enable early diagnosis to prevent disease transmission.
The aim of the project is the early identification of all TB cases by systematic case finding in vulnerable populations. Screening will include 10 symptom-based questions and chest X-ray for all individuals in the vulnerable population. Those above 15 years, non-pregnant females, and individuals not currently diagnosed or under treatment will receive chest X-ray screening.
Alternatively, ICMR validated, low-cost, high-throughput, open RT-PCR tests may replace X-ray screening.
The programme incorporates general examination, blood pressure and diabetes testing with state support to ensure community participation. Those requiring additional care for diabetes and hypertension will be referred to nearby health centres. Camps will operate continuously till maximum screening coverage is achieved in the community, before proceeding to the next location.
Dr Neeraj Nischal, additional professor, AIIMS medicine department, said infectious pulmonary TB remains the primary source of TB transmission in society.
Poor living conditions, particularly in low socioeconomic areas with inadequate ventilation and overcrowded housing, significantly increase the risk. An undetected TB case within a household can spread the infection to all family members, he added. The situation becomes more concerning when infected individuals work with vulnerable groups such as children, elderly people, or those with existing health conditions, putting these populations at increased risk.
Dr Nischal emphasised the importance of proactively identifying cases within these communities for early detection, preventing further spread in society. Implementing such an approach would significantly benefit the TB elimination programme, he added.
"The programme's notable feature is its inclusion of extra pulmonary TB cases," he said, emphasising the critical importance of identifying extra pulmonary cases at the appropriate moment.
