Seen in the photograph sitting second from left is Dr. Jaya Shreedhar, Technical Health Advisor, Internews Network, Dr. M. S. Jawahar, Deputy Director, TRC, Dr. Nalini Krishnan, Director, REACH, Ms. Chitra Mahesh, Media Consultant and standing from left Ms. Anupama Srinivasan, Media Consultant, Dr. Ramya Ananthakrishnan, Medical Director REACH and Dr. Padma Priyadarshan, Senior Research Officer, TRC with the fellows of the media program
Dr. Ramya elucidating on the socio-economic factors that impact TB
Dr. Jawahar giving the fellows the profile of Tuberculosis
The space enclosed between the four walls of the Genesis hall at Hotel Breeze was filled with discussions, brain storming, learning, experience and views sharing during the two –day orientation cum training program on 5th and 6th July organized by REACH for the ten journalists, all affiliated to local language publications, from across India who have been awarded fellowships by the REACH Lilly MDR-TB Partnership Program.
Over the two days, the group discussed the science of tuberculosis, the structure of the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program (RNTCP) in India and the
challenges in the management of TB including MDR-TB, TB-HIV co-infection, the
role of private practitioners and stigma. In addition, the journalists participated
in several skills-building sessions led by Dr. Jaya Shreedhar, Technical Health
Advisor, Internews Network, learning to use data and statistics for health
reporting and identifying common challenges in reporting on public health.
Interacting with the group, Dr. V Kumaraswami, Director-in-charge,
Tuberculosis Research Centre (TRC) urged journalists to find creative ways to
keep the issue of TB alive in the media.
Dr. M S Jawahar, Deputy Director, TRC, pointed out TB was one of the greatest serial killers in history. “But unlike the others, TB continues to be as big a problem today as it was many years ago”, he said.
Dr. Padma Priyadarshini, Senior Research Officer, TRC, spoke of the difficulties in diagnosing and controlling HIV-TB co infection. Dr. Ramya
Ananthakrishnan, Medical Director, REACH, highlighted the need to study the
socio-economic factors that have a tremendous impact on TB, including poverty
and nutrition.
Participants also visited the District TB Centre in Chennai to meet program
staff and gain first-hand understanding of how the program functions.
Through this initiative REACH hopes to soon see sustained reporting on Tuberculosis in local language papers.
REACH Blog Team