World TB Day 2019

RTBF held social engagement meetings and awareness-raising activities for communities for two days to address the serious issue of TB in local communities. RTBF used an EduClown Campaign which uses performances to communicate, educate, and raise awareness about TB in an innovative way and related health issues to onward-looking spectators. During the hour-long community engagement sessions, 28 TB survivors from the blocks of Virudhunagar took part in addressing TB and its symptoms through retelling their own experiences with the disease. During the 2 days, 10,000 fliers were handed out providing a TB disease profile along with 5,000 pens commemorating World TB Day 2019 and our funding partner, Cepheid. The TB survivors and the 10 EduClown members were able to get 160 symptomatic persons registered with RTBF to ensure future diagnosis and successful treatment.

India has the highest burden of tuberculosis (TB) in the world. In 2017 alone, there were 1.7 million new cases identified while 421,000 persons infected died the same year. World TB Day is held every year on March 24 to draw attention to the global epidemic of TB and its impacts on people who are burdened with the disease.

RTBF held social engagement meetings and awareness-raising activities for communities for two days to address the serious issue of TB in local communities. RTBF used an EduClown Campaign which uses performances to communicate, educate, and raise awareness about TB in an innovative way and related health issues to onward-looking spectators. During the hour long community engagement sessions, 28 TB survivors from the blocks of Virudhunagar took part in addressing TB and its symptoms through retelling their own experiences with the disease. During the 2 days, 10,000 fliers were handed out providing a TB disease profile along with 5,000 pens commemorating World TB Day 2019 and our funding partner, Cepheid. The TB survivors and the 10 EduClown members were able to get 160 symptomatic persons registered with RTBF to ensure future diagnosis and successful treatment.

Due to these constraints, it is not a surprise that a large portion of TB occurrence goes unnoticed. People are forced to ignore symptoms and quit treatment. According to WHO, 936,000 cases of TB went unreported in India. “It’s Time…”—the theme of this year’s World TB Day emphasized the urgency to act now against TB to reduce the level of stigma patients are facing. To create awareness in Virudhunagar District, RTBF started a petition to highlight just this gap in healthcare. Advocates and volunteers collected 1,629 signatures over the course of the program. The petition demands a decrease in discrimination in accessing healthcare for TB, a decrease in vacancies in key positions of diagnosis, such as lab technicians, and for the government to increase basic economic help for TB patients such as food assistance, health insurance, and subsidized public transportation. World TB Day 2019 banners will continue to be seen across the district. 10 banners have been left up to remind people of the importance of action. RTBF and Blossom Trust will continue to advocate for people in Tamil Nadu with the petition started during these 2 days. The petition will be forwarded to local political candidates to push TB to the forefront of debate in the national elections next month. Politicians and community leaders will hear and see the necessity of TB’s inclusion in future public policy. They will see the importance for TB patients’ rights.

Project Duration: 2019