National TB Elimination Program (India)
It functions as a flagship component of the National Health Mission (NHM) and provides technical and managerial leadership to anti-tuberculosis activities in the country.
As per the National Strategic Plan 2017–25, the program has a vision of achieving a "TB free India",with a strategies under the broad themes of "Prevent, Detect,Treat and Build pillars for universal coverage and social protection".
[1] The program provides, various free of cost, quality tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment services across the country through the government health system.
[3] In addition to the above, Chest Radiography, available at tertiary and secondary healthcare levels, also play an important role in screening for Tuberculosis signs and clinical diagnosis.
New Cases and those which exhibit no resistance are offered a six-month, short course of the four first line drugs; Isoniazid-H: Rifampicin-R, Pyrazinamide-Z, and Ethambutol-E.
[citation needed] At that time, the Indian government lacked the financial backing to meet its public health goals.
[10] In 1992, the WHO and Swedish International Development Agency evaluated the NTCP, finding that it lacked funding, information on health outcomes, consistency across management and treatment regimens, and efficient diagnostic techniques.
Given TB's high curability rate 6–12 months after diagnosis, moving toward a clinical and treatment-based strategy was a sensible progression from the NTP.
Political and administrative commitment were some of its core strategies, to ensure the provision of organized and comprehensive TB control services was obtained.
Adoption of smear microscopy for reliable and early diagnosis was introduced in a decentralized manner in the general health services.
[13] Expansion of the programme was undertaken in a phased manner with rigid appraisals of the districts prior to starting service delivery.
The structural arrangements for funds transfer and to account for the resources deployed were developed and thus the formation of the State and District TB Control Societies was under- taken.
[citation needed] This was followed up with RNTCP Phase II, developed based on the lessons learnt from the implementation of the programme over the previous 12-year period, from 2006 onwards.
[citation needed] NIKSHAY, the web based reporting for TB programme has been another notable achievement initiated in 2012 and has enabled capture and transfer of individual patient data from the remotest health institutions of the country.
