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Time of India
3 days ago
- Climate
- Time of India
Dhami reviews preparations in state ahead of monsoon
Dehradun: With the India Meteorological Department 's (IMD) warning of an above-average rainfall for Uttarakhand during the upcoming monsoon, chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday chaired a high-level meeting at the secretariat to review preparations. Emphasising on a proactive disaster management, Dhami directed officials to ensure all drains across the state are cleaned before the monsoon begins. He instructed disaster response systems in all districts to remain on high alert, with toll-free helplines to be activated in all districts and tehsils to assist citizens promptly during emergencies. The CM also called for measures to prevent dengue, malaria, and covid-19 during the rainy season. Additionally, the CM urged district officials to work on five best practices and innovations related to public interest in their districts. He announced that the first three districts in the state to become TB-free would be rewarded. Emphasising on the need for environmental and civic initiatives, Dhami directed all district officials to conduct regular cleanliness drives and to launch a large-scale tree plantation campaign from June 5 (World Environment Day) to July 25. "Regular monitoring of water source conservation and the progress on Amrit Sarovars should be carried out, and a nodal officer should be appointed in each district for this purpose," he added. In view of the upcoming International Yoga Day, Dhami said that a comprehensive awareness campaign should be conducted in all districts, and yoga camps should be organised on a large scale. "On the occasion of the Kainchi Dham foundation day on June 15, traffic management should be arranged with the necessary temporary parking facilities," he added. A special drive to remove illegal encroachments along the roadsides was also directed. "Boards and banners related to the 1064 helpline should be prominently displayed in govt offices to promote a corruption-free Uttarakhand," said Dhami.
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
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 Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 임플란트 36만원 아니면 전화 끊으셔도 됩니다 과잉진료 없는 치과 지금 예약 Undo 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.
Irish Examiner
14-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Behind the closed door at the TB summit
A three-year rule forcing farmers to sell high-risk animals solely to factories or control finishing units is just one of the radical proposals put forward at the emergency TB summit on Thursday. The emergency bovine TB summit called for by the minister for agriculture Martin Heydon took place last week and put forward revised proposals for additions and corrections to be made to the TB eradication programme in Ireland. A source, who attended the summit, told the Irish Examiner the proposals were broken down into five categories. The first is to support herds that are TB-free to remain free, the second is to reduce the impact of wildlife on the spread of TB, and thirdly, to detect and eliminate TB infection as early as possible in herds with a breakdown and avoid future breakdowns. The fourth category surrounded support for farmers to improve areas of farm biosecurity, and the fifth category aimed to reduce the impact of known high-risk animals and the spread of TB. For control of animals considered 'high risk' — animals that were in a herd during a TB outbreak but did not display a positive result for the disease, the department would employ a three-year rule. This rule would mean for three years after a second clear TB test, a farmer would not be allowed to sell any animals within the herd that experienced the breakdown through a mart or farm-to-farm movement. If the animal is to be sold, it would only be permitted to be sold to a factory or controlled finishing unit, which would also only be allowed to fatten and slaughter. This condition would particularly affect farmers who may not be able to house animals to fatten and must sell immediately, losing out on receiving a better price for the animal. Pricing for animals such as these will also be dictated by a small population of buyers: factories and controlled finishing units, and may be a detriment to the farmer, as it is not an open market. No subsidies or payments were discussed at the meeting for farmers who may miss out on market prices for their animals if they had to sell under these conditions. Under the category of biosecurity, the Irish Examiner was told the main interest was to minimise wildlife interaction and contamination on the farm as much as possible. If experiencing a TB breakdown, farmers may be asked to put together a risk management plan for the farm. This would contain measures the farmer can undertake on the farm to help combat wildlife interactions. Once a herd has been cleared from a TB breakdown, it is believed the farm will be inspected to ensure the farmer has carried out the measures they had suggested in their risk management plan. For the detection and elimination category, the department would be looking into enforcing blood tests on entire herds when a certain number of reactors or a certain percentage of a herd go down with TB. It is not entirely certain whether a private vet will be conducting the blood tests or whether department vets will be taking the helm. The department has also proposed an extension of restrictions on herds. Currently, farmers are experiencing a minimum of four months between 'clear' tests. The department now proposes that after the initial free test, a farmer must wait six months before they can undergo a second test. This would increase restrictions to be as long as eight months before a herd can be considered 'free' or 'clear' of TB, assuming the herd is clear on the second test. For herds that relapse and break down again after a period of being clear from previous tests, the department has suggested the herd undergo TB testing every six months for the next five years post-clear test. The department also suggests the farmer cull out the remaining cohort — animals present during the restriction — over several years or not provide compensation if those animals were to later contract TB. If the herd were to go down with TB again, and members of the original cohort were now infected and must be culled, the department would deem them ineligible for compensation, as the farmer was originally advised to remove them. Furthermore, the department would also like to display a herd's TB history and time since 'last breakdown' to be transparently available or displayed on the board at marts when selling animals. This would be of particular interest for buyers to help make informed decisions of animals at the mart. Suggestions proposed at the summit for farmers currently clear of TB was also discussed. Encouragement for farmers to choose breeding bulls or replacement bulls should be chosen or bred with better resistance to TB, a trait displayed on all animal profiles through ICBF. The department would also propose a 30-day pre-movement TB test on any animals exiting a farm for sale. The department would also plan to impose stricter movement rules on contract rearing. If a contract rearer is managing more than one herd, a pre-movement TB test must be conducted prior to moving to the rearer's farm and another pre-movement test conducted before they return to their home farm. Read More Vigilance urged as blackleg and lead poisoning cases rise
Time of India
09-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
‘Continue stepsto eradicate TB in UP'
Lucknow: Principal secretary, medical and health, Parth Sarathi Sen Sharma on Friday instructed officials concerned to continue activities of the 100-day special intensive tuberculosis (TB) campaign in the state. He also directed the examination and treatment of other aspects along with TB for high-risk patients. "There is a need to focus on finding more patients and identifying high-risk individuals," Sharma said, speaking at a two-day review and training programme organised for district tuberculosis officers (DTOs).Director General, health, Dr Ratanpal Singh Suman laid stress on special care of high-risk TB patients , providing them with appropriate treatment and maintaining constant monitoring. Director, national programme, Dr Seema Srivastava stated that the current annual decline in the incidence of TB is 2.5%, which needs to be scaled up significantly. "Efforts are required from all of us to achieve this," she tuberculosis officer Dr Shailendra Bhatnagar stated that every effort is crucial to make the country TB-free by the end of this year. He discussed the Nikshay portal and case registration in detail.
