Gandhinagar, Feb 14 : As part of the '100 Days TB Eradication Campaign,' a special programme was organised on Friday in Gandhinagar under the chairmanship of Gujarat Health Minister Rushikesh Patel.

The event featured a seminar attended by 'TB-cured patients', 'TB patients', and 'TB champions', aiming to raise awareness and encourage those battling the disease.

He emphasised the significant efforts undertaken by the Gujarat Health Department in this regard, attributing the recovery of numerous patients to the state's proactive initiatives.

The minister highlighted that TB was once considered a "royal disease" and was difficult to diagnose and treat. However, with the implementation of initiatives like the 'National Tuberculosis Eradication Program', defeating the disease has become a reality.

He said that TB diagnosis and treatment are now available free of cost at all government health centres across Gujarat.

"TB is neither a royal disease nor an insurmountable one; it is entirely curable," Patel stated.

He congratulated people who have successfully recovered from the disease and urged all TB patients to complete their six-month treatment regimen to ensure full recovery.

He further emphasised that TB can be eliminated through public cooperation and government initiatives.

To ensure that TB patients receive adequate nutrition alongside medical treatment, financial assistance of Rs 1,000 per month is provided under the Nikshay Poshan Yojana until treatment is completed. So far, more than 7.68 lakh TB patients in Gujarat have benefited from this scheme, with a total financial aid of over Rs 246 crore disbursed through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).

In 1993, Gujarat was among the initial states to pilot the Revised National TB Control Programme (RNTCP), which introduced the DOTS strategy - Directly Observed Treatment, Short-course. This programme emphasised standardised treatment regimens, direct observation of therapy, and systematic monitoring and reporting. The early adoption of RNTCP in Gujarat laid the foundation for structured TB control measures in the state. Despite ongoing efforts, recent data indicates a concerning rise in TB cases in Gujarat.

In 2020, the state reported 173 TB patients per lakh population, which increased to 213 per lakh by 2022, marking a significant 17 per cent rise over two years.

The total number of reported TB cases escalated from 1,20,560 in 2020 to 1,51,912 in 2022.

Furthermore, between 2019 and June 2024, Gujarat recorded over 5,000 TB-related deaths annually, averaging approximately 15 deaths per day.

/IANS