Each year, 2.8 million people in India and over 70,000 people in Delhi become ill with tuberculosis (TB), which is a preventable and treatable illness. TB Free India is a dream, which is within our reach, and it needs to begin with local efforts by each district, each city, and each village working to become TB Free.
A collaborative initiated by CETI (Collaboration to Eliminate TB among Indians), an NGO and AAPI Association of American Physician of Indian Origin is working to help cities build Local Roadmaps for TB Free Cities. And now on March 16, 2019 leaders in Delhi are launching the TB FREE DELHI INITIATIVE with initial focus on Rohini to build the “Local Roadmap for TB Free Delhi.” This collaborative will work together as a team to bring innovative strategies to help make Delhi TB Free.
Dr Rakesh K Chawla, a senior consultant in respiratory medicine from Delhi is the brand ambassador for TB Free Delhi Campaign and Mr Vivek Benara of Benara Auto Pvt. Ltd is the corporate sponsor for the TB Free Delhi campaign.
Delhi is not the first city to take on this challenge of becoming TB Free City, other cities have embarked on this journey. AAPI-CETI collaborative has been the catalyst for Indore, Bhopal, Rajkot, Mumbai-Malad, Ahmedabad, Mysore, Nagpur, Varanasi, Lucknow and villages in Gujarat for TB Free Initiatives creating Local Roadmaps, Details are on the website www.tbfree.org/aapi.
The TB Free Delhi Campaign is supported by the Government of India’s RNTCP program and a team which includes State TB Officer Dr Ashwini Khanna, District TB Officers, Dr. Dinesh Kargwal, Key Opinion leaders Dr Kamal Chopra and WHO Consultant Dr Shivani Chandra. Also participating are the Tuberculosis Association of India, Indian Chest Society, along with various stakeholders in the district such as Rotary and Lions clubs.
At the inauguration chief guest will be Shri Vijender Gupta, MLA Delhi and Shri Alok Sharma, Councillor Rohini and other team members. Among the CETI’s leadership Dr Salil Bhargava and Dr. Manoj Jain, based in USA, will provide technical assistance for TB Free Delhi. They said, “Our goal is to make Delhi TB Free, and set set an example for the nation. This will require great deal of effort and teamwork.” The TB Free Delhi team will follow a proven 10 step TB Free Local Roadmap process which uses the continuous quality improvement principles.
Supporting organization with Dr. Rakesh Chawla and the team will be Indian Chest Society, Association of Family Physician, The Tuberculosis Association of India, Rotary Club, Lions Club, SAROJ super speciality Hospital, Jaipur Golden Hospital, NCTCP.
