Rajasthan: 7.4 million people screened for tuberculosis under special campaign

Jaipur, Jul 16 (PTI) Rajasthan has screened over 7.4 million people for tuberculosis since June 25 in an ambitious door-to-door campaign to detect hidden cases early and ensure free treatment, health officials said on Tuesday.

The "active case-finding" drive targets more than 16.7 million people in high-risk groups by July 21. Health teams have so far referred over 2,35,000 people with TB symptoms to health facilities for confirmatory testing.

According to an official statement, the intensive campaign is focused on groups more vulnerable to TB, including people with HIV, diabetes patients, the elderly, undernourished individuals, migrants, tribal communities, construction and mining workers, prison inmates and those living in urban slums.

"The goal is to break the chain of transmission by finding and treating hidden cases early," the statement said.

District teams have been tasked with household surveys and daily progress reviews. Authorities credit field staff and community participation for helping identify potential patients in time.

The push is part of India's national commitment to eliminate TB by 2025. While the campaign is aligned with that larger goal, Rajasthan officials say it is also tackling longstanding gaps in detection by leveraging digital tools.

Field workers are using mobile health apps to record and monitor screening in real time, while lab testing is prioritising rapid molecular diagnostics (NAT) for faster, more accurate results.

Rajasthan currently ranks third nationally in declaring TB-free gram panchayats.

In 2024 alone, over 3,350 gram panchayats in the state were officially declared TB-free after local campaigns boosted awareness, testing and treatment uptake.

More than 35,000 "Nikshay Mitras" - volunteers and donors - have also registered to support patients with nutrition, counselling and other needs.

The state has also expanded lab capacity with hundreds of NAT machines, X-ray units and technicians at district and block levels.

According to official data, Rajasthan reported 171,415 TB cases in 2024, exceeding its annual target. From January to June this year, over 89,000 new patients have already been notified, achieving 110% of the target for that period.

Health officials say the intensified campaign is part of a more coordinated approach that includes NGOs, CSR partners, private doctors and other departments.

With a combination of technology, local participation and inter-departmental planning, they hope to catch more undiagnosed TB cases and reduce the spread of infection. PTI AG RT