LT-Microscopy & NAAT

Stigma is when someone sees you in a negative way.

Discrimination is when someone treats you in a negative way.

At Individual Level

Although more men are affected by TB, women and transgender persons experience the disease differently. Gender differences and inequalities play a significant role in how people of all gender access and receive healthcare services.

Broad principles to address gender inequalities in TB care

Awareness should be generated in the community for promoting various health programmes, health seeking behaviours, screening of TB cases etc. by involving and sensitizing community influencers including PRI members and treatment support groups.

Figure: Activities for awareness generation in community

Do’s

• Active listening, emphatic gestures and expressions
• Ensure the confidentiality of the conversation done with the patient
• Ensure Minimum interruption during the conversation with patient
• Ensuring availability of IEC materials such as posters, videos, pamphlets etc. to dispel myths and misconceptions.

Don'ts

Confidential dialogue between a health care provider and a patient that helps a patient to define his/her feelings, cope with stress, and to make informed decisions regarding treatment.

The patient should be counselled at all the three phases i.e.,

Contact tracing is a process to identify people who are  at a high risk of developing TB due to their contact with a known TB case.

The aim of contact tracing is to find other people with TB disease and those infected with TB

All close contacts, especially household contacts of a Pulmonary TB patient, should be screened for TB. 

In paediatric TB patients, reverse contact tracing for the search of any active TB case in the child's household must be undertaken.

Particular attention should be paid to contacts with the highest susceptibility to TB infection.

Public Health Action is conducted under the NTEP programme to support and prevent further health complications among TB patients after diagnosis.

Figure: Various activities under Public Health Action

Tuberculosis and COVID-19 are infectious diseases which primarily attack the lungs. They present with similar symptoms of cough, fever and difficulty in breathing, although TB disease has a longer incubation period and a slower onset of disease.

Screen patients for symptoms of TB and COVID-19

Figure: Screening steps for TB - COVID 19 Patients