REACH Announces Winners of India TB Stigma Hackathon 2024

Chennai: REACH, in collaboration with the Centre for Technology and Policy (CTaP) at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) and with support from the StopTB Partnership, has announced the winners of the India Tuberculosis (TB) Stigma Hackathon 2024.

The event, aimed at inspiring the next generation of changemakers, invited registrations from postgraduate students across the country to participate in groups of three to brainstorm, debate, and develop creative and actionable solutions to address various types of TB-related stigma,

Teams presented more than 24 solutions, including using nano influencers to raise awareness about TB-related stigma; an AI-powered medication tracker with mood monitoring and gamified tasks; cloud kitchens managed by TB survivors providing tailored nutrition; and leveraging brand ambassadors to break stereotypes about TB, among others.

The competition attracted 35 registrations from students representing 15 colleges and universities across 10 states and union territories. Participants came from diverse academic disciplines, including management, public health, engineering, business, law, and social sciences. Of the entries, 12 teams were shortlisted to compete in the Hackathon.

A distinguished panel of judges, including former Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary Dr. Girija Vaidyanathan IAS, former Senior Advisor at Asian Development Bank (ADB) Ms. Anuradha Rajivan, Senior Vice President at Infosys Mr. Bhaskar Kakuturu, Founder and Director of New Concept Information Systems Mr. Raghavan Srinivasan, and TB Champion Raazya Mumtaz, assessed the teams’ submissions. The evaluations focused on their understanding of TB stigma, the originality of their ideas, feasibility, and potential impact.

“This Hackathon was an effort to bring together diverse, unconventional solutions to address a pressing public health challenge,” said Dr. Ramya Ananthakrishnan, Director, REACH. “It highlighted the remarkable creativity and potential of young minds to develop innovative solutions for tackling TB-related stigma. Our goal is to transform these ideas into pilot interventions.”

TB stigma remains a significant barrier to effective prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of TB. Rooted in misconceptions about the disease being contagious, incurable, or linked to personal failings, stigma often leads to discrimination, social isolation, and delayed healthcare-seeking behaviour. This not only affects the mental and emotional well-being of people with TB but also undermines public health efforts to end TB.

The following teams were declared winners of the India TB Stigma Hackathon 2024:

● First Prize: L. Sai Tilak, K. Praneeth and M. Ravi Kumar from the Department Of Management Studies, IIT Madras

● Second Prize: Dr Riddhi Tushar Vyas, Dr Nithya Shree M and Ms Kasturee Hajra from the School of Public Health, SRM Institute of Science and Technology

● Special Category: Mr Jeevanand Vellassery Sumesh, Mr ⁠Melvin Abraham Mathew and Ms ⁠Serena Josephine M. from The Hindu

● Popular Choice: L. Sai Tilak, K. Praneeth and M. Ravi Kumar from the Department Of Management Studies, IIT Madras