State ACSM/ IEC Officer

Communication aims to favourably change knowledge, attitudes and practices among various groups of people. 

Types of communication in healthcare are:

In ACSM, "A" stands for Advocacy. "Advocacy" is an activity by an individual or a group that aims to influence the decisions within political, economic and social institutions. 

Advocacy focuses on influencing policy-makers, funders and international decision-making bodies through a variety of channels:

Nikshay Poshan Yojana (NPY) is one of the four initiative-based support schemes which provides financial support to TB patients for their nutrition. A financial incentive of Rs. 500 per month will be provided to patients on anti-TB treatment till the completion of treatment.

There may be other Central or State government schemes and programmes that beneficiaries related to the TB program are eligible for, over and above the 4 schemes provided by the central government through NTEP. Some examples are:

On the basis of diagnosis, Tuberculosis (TB) can be classified into 2 main types:

1. Microbiologically confirmed TB
2. Clinically diagnosed TB

Microbiologically Confirmed TB

The State Tuberculosis (TB) Cell (STC) is supported by the State TB Training and Demonstration Centre (STDC) in many states through its three units – Training Unit, Supervision and Monitoring Unit and an Intermediate Reference Laboratory (IRL). This relationship is shown in the figure below.

Under the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP), a Peripheral Health Institute (PHI) is a health facility that is manned by at least a Medical Officer (MO), where diagnosis and management of Tuberculosis (TB) are done.

At this level, there are dispensaries, Primary Health Centres (PHCs), Community Health Centres (CHCs), referral hospitals, major hospitals, speciality clinics or hospitals (including other health facilities), TB hospitals, Anti-retroviral Treatment (ART) centres and medical colleges within the respective district.

Drug-resistant Tuberculosis Centres (DR-TBCs) are specialized centres for the clinical management of Drug-resistant TB (DR-TB). ​

Each DR-TBC needs to have established a DR-TB committee to carry out the clinical management of DR-TB patients.​

DR-TBCs can be established in the public sector where appropriate facilities are available. ​

NSP 2012 - 2017 had the aim of achieving universal access to quality diagnosis and treatment. The NSP 2017-2025 which builds on the success and learnings of the last NSP, and articulates the bold and innovative steps required to move towards TB elimination. In 2020, RNTCP was renamed to "National Tuberc