Although there has been an increase in TB initiatives in Southern India there are still obstacles preventing groups from accessing health services resulting in a high TB burden. Indeed, there is still a significant gap of information, underreporting of detected cases and underdiagnosis. India accounts for 25% of the gap in reporting of newly detected cases and inequitable access to diagnosis and treatment. Furthermore, fear of social stigma deters individuals from seeking medical attention. Therefore, we recognise a great need in raising community voices and sharing the lived experiences of TB patients and survivors.

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Our Response​

From January 2022 Blossom Trust in partnership with the Public Affair Centre (PAC) has implemented its 1 year project namely CC-TATA supported by STOP-TB. Across Madurai, Ramanathapuram and Virudhunagar districts, this project aims to bridge the gap between the TB community response and national level policy. Expanding on our experience in rural communities and low resource settings across Tamil Nadu, we've witnessed many patients going undiagnosed due to delays in testing and the expense to travel for testing. 

 

CC-TATA project seeks to ensure a person-centred delivery of TB programmes promoting a gender-responsive TB approach, driven by meaningful community engagement. A team of dedicated professionals formed by a Project Manager, office workers, 9 Outreach Workers and 15 TB Advocates work to create a thriving patient network offering peer-to-peer counseling to support individuals during treatment to enhance treatment adherence. Through training and building upon the pre-established Rainbow TB Forum, all the targeted people with and affected by TB will have access to people-centred prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care.

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