India’s Business Standard has reported on the success of TB Alert’s Burari program in addressing the social stigma, poor adherence to drug regimens and interrupted treatment that are contributing to the spread of TB.
The Lilly MDR-TB partnership with TB Alert, under the guidance of the Central TB Division of India, is helping make TB treatment accessible to communities by empowering local healthcare providers in areas where medical care and medicines are not easily available.
As far as the TB program is concerned, every one lakh population [1000 people] is supposed to have a DMC (Designated Microscopy Center). Since Burari is an urban-rural settlement, there was no facility. The nearest hospital is 11 kms away. So people either wouldn’t go to the hospital or would buy medicine from the nearest chemist to treat themselves.
We chose areas which were urban slums or resettlement areas. To identify the area, we had a base survey. We understood the fact that there was no health facility around and people had to either lose a day’s wage or invest two-three days to actually go and get themselves diagnosed”.
Sunita Prasad, program manager, Lilly MDR TB partnership
Read the full article: How Burari beats off social stigma in the fight against TB, Business Standard, 02 November 2014
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