ROTARY CLUB OF POONA DOWNTOWN (RCPD) PLAYS A SUPPORTING ROLE IN THE NTEP (NATIONAL TB ERADICATION PROGRAMME) OF GOI.
Tuberculosis is one of the most lethal scourges affecting practically every population in the world, especially in developing countries like India.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), over 4,100 people die daily of TB. India accounts for 28 percent of all TB cases worldwide, according to the Global TB Report 2022.
Within India, it reached its highest-ever count of TB patients in 2022 as doctors across the country reported over 24.22 lakh TB cases to the Health Department of the Government of India. This is higher than ten years ago when 14 lakh cases were notified in 2013.
In 2014 the World Health Assembly unanimously approved a new END TB strategy to eliminate the Global TB epidemic by 2030.
Indian Prime Minister Mr. MODI has set an aggressive and more ambitious goal of TB eradication by 2025 under the flagship NATIONAL TUBERCULOSIS ERADICATION PROGRAM (NTEP). COVID has given this ambitious target a setback and may take a few more years.
Being a highly infectious disease, people with active pulmonary TB can potentially infect 5-15 persons per year through close contact. Hence, identification, treatment, nutrition, and patient tracking are the only ways to cut this chain.
The District Tuberculosis Centre (DTC) is the nodal point for all TB elimination activities in the district. The District TB Officer (DTO) at the DTC has the overall responsibility of managing NTEP at the district level as per the program guidelines.
Estimation of Tuberculosis burden especially in terms of incidence and mortality has never been an easy task. However, the introduction and rapid scale-up of Nikshay, a case-based web-based surveillance system, has helped in improving the treatment outcomes of all types of patients including those who otherwise would be lost to follow-up.
The GOI recognized that the mission to End TB needs a multi-sectoral response through meaningful engagement and participation of all stakeholders including key Ministries, corporations, civil society, community service non-profit organizations, etc. ROTARY was always considered among the frontrunners for community service programs.
Under the broader contours of NTEP the GOI also started an innovative program called Ni-kshay Poshan Yojna aims to provide an adequate level of balanced NUTRITION to the identified Tuberculosis and deserving poor patients.
Once a case is identified and confirmed by the series of tests, an intensive combination of drugs is given to the patient for 4 months and if cured a less aggressive line of treatment is given for 2 months more, by the Government completely free of cost. Still, untreated patients, particularly MDR (Multi Drug Resistance) patients may take extended treatment up to 12 months.
To succeed, this treatment regimen must accompany a balanced nutrition as per the NTEP protocol, which has listed the ingredients of a balanced nutrition.
All the testing is done free of cost and the treatment is also given to the patient for no charge, at all district TB Centres and Sub Centres
Rotary Club of Poona Downtown (RCPD) decided to get involved and contribute towards the ambitious TB Eradication Mission of our Prime Minister.

RCPD participated in Nikshay Poshan Yojna by providing NUTRITION for six months as per NTEP protocol to 175 TB patients in the year 2022-23 and 150 TB patients in the year 2023-24, in collaboration with the Health Department’s DTO, starting from March 2022.
Similarly, another set of 138 patients from PAUD RUGNALAYA TB Centre, Paud Pune was taken in the program, with the help of CSR funding from, SFS Group India, a large MNC in Pirangut, Pune.

We are grateful to Shri Mukund Bhavan Trust, who contributed 5 lacs partnering with RCPD in this noble cause in the year 2022-23. The remaining funding came from our generous member donors and partly from the RCPD Charitable Trust account. In the year 2023-24 all the funding came from our Rotary member donors.
We concluded our second program on 30th August 2024

The reports after the conclusion of programs clearly show that in all patients’ Weight Loss stopped after 2-3 months and at the end of six months all the patients gained 2-5 kg, which is a quite significant treatment outcome for TB patients showing they are on the road to recovery both on parameters of infection eradication and health improvement.

Delivery of the medicines and NUTRITION RATION PACKETS is done at the respective TB Clinics of PMC when the patient visits for his monthly supply of medicines.
RCPD has conducted monthly patient meetings at the TB Centres to directly interact with some patients and monitor their progress.
What is highly satisfying is when you meet these patients in the monthly meetings and see the improvement in their health and confidence.
We would like to make NUTRITION DISTRIBUTION PROGRAMME yet another flagship project of RCPD, at least over the next few years till TB is completely eradicated from India.