State ACSM/ IEC Officer

Community or peer-led measures penetrate better into the intricate layers of key population and facilitate Intensive Case Finding (ICF). Peer group support helps patients deal with challenges that they face during the treatment period. Several Tuberculosis (TB) patients find their treatment period stressful and having a peer to talk to, who has undergone similar challenges, and a doctor or counsellor to answer their questions, helps build confidence and realization that they are not alone in this journey.

In order to create awareness and mobilise young students to fight against TB, the National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP) encourages TB awareness campaigns in schools.

Common school activities undertaken to create awareness about TB among children include the following:

Components of Advocacy, Communication and Social Mobilisation (ACSM) Planning Format

Three Levels of Advocacy, Communication and Social Mobilisation (ACSM) Activities 

Socio-economic factors affecting TB patients are: 

1. General socioeconomic conditions of the society, culture and environment. This includes:

Palliative care is specialised medical care for people living with a serious illness.

• This type of care is focused on providing relief from the symptoms and stress of the illness.
• The goal is to improve the quality of life for both the patient and the family.
• Palliative care is based on the needs of the patient, not on the patient’s prognosis.

Need for Palliative Care for TB Patients

The Patients’ Charter for Tuberculosis Care (the Charter) outlines the rights and responsibilities of people with TB. It empowers people affected by TB and their communities through this knowledge. Initiated and developed by persons affected by TB from around the world, the Charter makes the relationship with healthcare providers a mutually beneficial one.

Tuberculosis (TB) unit (TU) is the sub-district level supervisory unit of National TB Elimination Program with the following organogram:

Figure: Organogram of a TB Unit

(PHI: Peripheral Health Institution)

TUs are based mainly on National Health Mission (NHM) health blocks with the aim of aligning with the NHM Block Programme Management Unit (BPMU) for optimum resource utilization and appropriate monitoring.

It is important to create a realistic Advocacy, Communication and Social Mobilisation (ACSM) budget.

General principles which would be helpful in creating a realistic budget are: