STOP TB

REACH conducted a training program for a group of post graduate students from the Madras School of Social Work. Analyzing the need for more social workers in the field of Tuberculosis, a special session was handled on the role social workers play in the control of the disease

Mr. Terence handling the ice breaking session

Mr. Ramesh giving the students a briefing of the training

Ms. Nalini sensitizing the students on Tuberculosis

Ms. Sheela orienting the students on the government TB program - The RNTCP

Ms. Anne explaining the role a social worker plays in the control of the disease

A student interacting during the session

Through this attempt, REACH hopes to awaken more social work professionals to the TB scenario and encourage them to take up careers to fight the war against the TB bacilli.

REACH Blog Team

The launch of Global fund Round 9 program for civil society engagement in Tuberculosis control on August 18^th 2010 at hotel Savera saw the Samavesh hall totally occupied with minds talking ways to stop TB and the rest eagerly looking forward to learning of ways to stop the disease.

‘’Inaintha Kaigal”was the logo developed to symbolize the Global fund Round 9 project to be carried out by REACH and CHAI in Tamil Nadu in 23 districts. “Enaiyum Kaigal, Annaiyum Kasanoi” is the tag line in the states language Tamil which means when hands unite TB will be put off.

The logo for this project exhibits people holding hands to symbolise the fact that it is possible to eradicate TB only when civil society joins hands with other stake holders

The launch turned out to be a grand success with 87 NGO’s and 21 District TB Officers from 21 districts in Tamil Nadu turning up in full strength which symbolized a positive move towards stopping TB.

Dr. Nalini Krishnan, Director at REACH, referred to the occasion as a momentous day for the civil society to support and enhance TB control.

Dr. Nalini Krishnan, Director, REACH addressing the gathering.

Sr. Anbarasi, President, Catholic Association of Tamil Nadu (CHAI),delivered the welcome address.

Sr. Anbarasi, President, Catholic Association of Tamil Nadu (CHAI) talking about the work of CHAI

Furnishing the audience with an overview of the project Dr. Nevin Wilson

Director, The Union, South East Asia stated community participation to be the key strategy to achieve the TB millennium goal.

Dr. Nevin Wilson briefing the audience on the project

Dr. Vijay Edwards, Director – Health & HIV / AIDS emphasized the need for a passion for TB and interdependence to fight the war against the TB bacilli which is no joker.

Thiru Rajesh Lakhoni, Commissioner, Corporation of Chennai spoke on how denial of the disease leads to delay in treatment and on the fact that the defaulter rate is not going down from 7%.

Thiru Rajesh Lakhoni, Commissioner, Corporation of Chennai being honoured by Dr. Nalini Krishnan

Ms. Rohini, Film Personality and Social Activist who was also among the dignitaries raised the question as to why TB has not been made mandatory in a health check up. She also emphasized the role of the media in bringing social issues to the public eye.

Actor and social activist Ms. Rohini sharing her views on Tuberculosis

Thiru V K Subburaj , Principal Secretary , Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Tamilnadu who launched the program spoke on the absence of fear towards Tuberculosis as a disease in the minds of the public and the need to instill this fear by reorienting our IEC and publicity techniques. He also highlighted the alarming challenge present in the form of the HIV / TB co infection.

Thiru V K Subburaj , Principal Secretary , Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Tamilnadu symbolically launching the start of the GFATM Round 9 Project in Tamil Nadu

The reach staff presenting a villupattu (a folk form of song used in Tamil Nadu to convey messages to society) on Tuberculosis

Dr. Udaya Shankar, State TB Officer urged government officials of the RNTCP to help NGO’s make the program successful.

The State TB Officer being honoured by Mr. VSG Ramesh assistant Pragram Manager of the project at REACH

The launch of the program was followed by two parallel sessions for the NGO’s and DTO’s to orient them on the details of the project.

Press Releases of the Event

Press release in The Hindu

Press release in The New Indian Express

Press release in Dina Malar

Wishing the project a grand success…………………

REACH Blog Team

Oasis is an NGO which works for the transformation and empowerment of individuals and communities in cities through advocacy, health care, education, rehabilitation training and resourcing.

As part of its outreach programs for the communities with which they work Oasis invited REACH as a resource NGO to educate the people they work with at Vyasarpadi, in Chennai on the facts, diagnosis and treatment of Tuberculosis.

The audience who attended the program comprised of school going children and women.

Mr. Daniel Praveen Raj, Program Coordinator at Oasis addressing the gathering

Ms. P.Chitra, field staff at REACH, delivering the TB talk

The REACH staff enacting a skit to convey the TB message

Networking with NGO’s to spread the TB message is an effective way to reach out to more people in society.  

REACH Blog Team

As part of the recently announced Global Fund Round 9 grant, REACH and Catholic Health Association of India CHAI have been granted funds as sub recipients for civil society engagement and support to the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program RNTCP in Tamilnadu

REACH and CHAI are sub recipients to the grant through their Principal Recipient, The Union, South East Asia, headquartered in New Delhi.

The project will be launched on 18^th August 2010 by Thiru V K Subburaj , Principal Secretary , Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Tamilnadu. At Hotel Savera, Dr Radhakrishnan road, Chennai 600004

 Dr.C.Udayshankar, State TB Officer, Tamilnadu, Dr.Nevin Wilson, Director, The Union, South East Asia, Thiru.Rajesh Lakhoni, Commissioner, Corporation of Chennai and Dr.P. Kuganantham, Health Officer, Corporation of Chennai will be the guests of honor.

The main objectives of the civil society component of the country proposal approved in GF round 9 are to

• Improve the reach, visibility and effectiveness of the RNTCP through civil society support in 374 districts across 23 states by 2015
• Engage communities and community based care providers in these districts and states to improve TB care and control especially for marginalized and vulnerable populations including TB-HIV patients

REACH and CHAI will be implementing the Global Fund Round 9 project in 24 districts of Tamilnadu.We are jointly organizing this event to disseminate the objectives, seek partnership and support from the state as well as civil society, in order to implement these activities in a planned and comprehensive manner and in full partnership with the State TB program.

Together let us free our Country from TB

REACH Blog Team  

The program at the Chellamal Women’s College at Guindy turned out to be a great success as the REACH staff sensitized 450 students in two batches. At the end of the program the students as well as the college faculty expressed their alarm and concern over the TB scenario in our country.

Ms. Nalini sensitizing the Chellamal college students on Tuberculosis

Student masses being sensitised

Student winners of the TB quiz along with their lecturers and the REACH staff

The principal of the college requested us to sensitize the whole college and said that he would allocate us a full month to work with their students.

REACH Blog Team

Exposure visits combined with review meetings for the Community Suport Group(CSG) members took place for the first time in the respective DTC’s(District TB Centres) of the three districts that REACH works in through the ACSM project.

The programs held at the DTC’s of Thiruvallur, Thiruvanamallai and Kancheepuram had a total strength of 66 CSG leaders and assistant leaders attending the programs.

These CSG people are people living simple lives in villages with very little exposure to urban living. They had traveled 50 to 100 kms from their respective villages to attend the programs.

A CSG member interacting with the DTO, Dr. Ashok, at the Thiruvanamallai district DTC

A view of the Government DOTS centre in the Kancheepuram DTC.

As part of the exposure visit the CSG members were showed around the DTC and explained to in detail how the set up functions with visits to the laboratory and DOTS centers. The members saw the Bacilli in the microscope and were amazed that a tiny germ could cause so much damage to mankind. The importance of DOTS was also explained by the DOT Provider at the DTC.

A CSG member getting a glimpse of the bacilli

The STLS at the Kancheepuram DTC explaining sputum diagnosis to the CSG members

During the review meetings, the District TB Officer’s of the districts encouraged the CSG leaders to become torch bearers for their respective villages and work towards creating TB free societies. The other staff in the DTC such as the medical officers, health educators, Senior Treatment Supervisors (STS) and the Senior Treatment Lab Supervisors (STLS) also participated in the review meetings and shared their knowledge, experiences and insights with the members.

The DTO at Thiruvallur district Dr. Lakshmi Murali interacting with the CSG members

Witnessing the CSG leaders speak during the review meeting was an astonishing experience, as these people whom we refer to as ordinary people spoke up with commitment and the genuine interest of bringing well being to their villages.

Our efforts of bringing common people into TB control activities through the ACSM project which started a year and a half back seemed to have reaped us a good harvest……………………..

REACH Blog Team

Thirty year old Tamil Selvi, who has been a Community Support Group Leader for the past one year at Kannampalayam village, Thiruvallur district under the ACSM project exclaimed in joy when I last met her. She said I finally found it (the tone of her voice was one of the most happiest and excited that I had ever heard). ‘’What did you find?’’ I asked her confused, coz she sounded as if she had just struck gold.

‘’I finally identified a symptomatic after a year of being a CSG member in my community and spreading the TB message. The patient is my neighbor’s husband; my neighbor who lives a street away told me that her husband had these symptoms. I immediately referred him for a sputum test and he was positive. He is now on treatment’’ Selvi said with the joy of a child. Selvi urged me to put her on line with someone in my organization back in Chennai, as she felt she should share this joy with them. I thus connected her to the program manager at REACH, Ms. Sheela, who was also amazed at the joy Selvi felt on identifying a TB patient and putting him on treatment.

Selvi’s joy served as an inspiration to all of us and also a reminder of the life saving work that we are involved in.

Sai Dinakar

District Coordinator

REACH Blog Team

Young and bright is the first impression I got when I first met Mr. Vijaywin Bright. Blessed with a loving family and extremely caring wife, little did I know that Bright’s treatment would turn into a long process. This 37 year old had already discontinued TB treatment once. Learning this I started him on treatment after giving him ample counseling, which I thought would be sufficient. During the course of time however I learnt that he was a severe alcoholic, when I enquired why he was into the habit,” I have to work for long hours in mortuaries on the cooling systems there, to put up with the foul smell I have to drink” is what Bright replied who works as an a/c mechanic.  

Later he told me he had to take pan to put up with the bitterness of the anti TB tablets. Though I worked with him and his family constantly trying to make him adhere to treatment regularly, he discontinued ttreatment. After a gap of four months he came back to me requesting me to put him back on treatment. This time his health had deteriorated severely, he also seemed to be in a confused state of mind.

I have initiated Bright back on treatment and still have the hope and confidence that Bright’s life can be made bright again by curing him of Tuberculosis through constant counseling and motivation.

Shanthi

Filed Staff

REACH Blog Team

schmidj@who.int.

Ramji giving a TB talk

What leads to what, we often have no clue. Diagnosis of TB for my dad, landed me in the profession of helping TB patients towards cure. Taking my dad through the process of diagnosis and treatment through the REACH DOTS centre at the Sugam hospital in Thiruvotiyur made me realize that this is what I would actually like to do instead of working as a supervisor in a factory, where I experienced no job satisfaction.  

Ever since, there has been no looking back for the past five years.

Though being a Chennite from birth, my roots are from the north in UP, which has been an added advantage for me in my work at REACH. My knowledge of Hindi has given me the opportunity to work with all the Hindi speaking patients of REACH. When my colleagues face a communication problem with their Hindi speaking patients, I have always been happy to be at their service by taking up the role of a translator.

The work culture at REACH has been very encouraging from day 1 and the management and my colleagues have been instrumental in helping me grow as an individual and a professional.

My work has exposed me to the worst living conditions and served as an eye opener to reality. My tolerance level was put to test when a patient once vomited on me while swallowing his tablets. That moment taught me that I genuinely cared for my patients. 

I have faced many challenges in terms of handling patients with different problems like alcoholism or family problems which hinder their treatment, but learnt to handle each patient according to his or her situation.

From field worker, to field staff, to field officer today I have undergone a tremendous learning process which I hope will continue in the future and enable me to help more people from sickness to cure.           

Ramji, Field Officer

REACH Blog Team