JNMC observes ‘Active Tuberculosis (TB) Surveillance Month’

Aligarh: To raise public awareness about the devastating health consequences of Tuberculosis (TB) and to step up efforts for ending the TB epidemic; Pulmonology and Infectious Diseases (PID) Clinic, Department of Paediatrics, JN Medical college (JNMC) observed ‘Active Tuberculosis (TB) Surveillance Month’ in line with the National Strategic Plan of Eradicating TB by 2025.

“A health awareness program and an active case finding and contact tracing activities were carried out during the month-long observations,” said Prof Farzana K Beig, Chairperson, Department of Paediatrics.

She added that the parents of children, who visited the PID Clinic during the observations, were asked to bring their children to doctors immediately after observing symptoms of repeated chest infections, cough, fever, night sweats, weight loss, weakness and loss of appetite.

Prof Farzana claimed that India has 27 percent of world’s TB cases and one fourth of drug resistant TB cases.

She pointed out that there is a need to focus on early diagnosis of TB patients and their prompt treatment.

Prof Farzana also spoke on the importance of TB preventive interventions such as detection and treatment of latent TB infection (LTBI) and BCG vaccination at birth.