As studies have revealed that smoking, alcohol, and diabetes mellitus significantly increase the risk of tuberculosis (TB), a university in Sweden in collaboration with AIIMS Delhi and Pune’s KEM Hospital Research Centre is planning to do a study with the aim to develop models for the integration of programmes meant to control the diseases and tobacco use at primary health care center’s, district, provincial, and national levels.
The Umea University in Sweden will assess the feasibility of developing the models.
The overall aim is to provide evidence on the extent to which global health researchers adhere to principles of research fairness and research integrity, Dr Rutuja Patil, one of the principal investigators of the study, told The Indian Express.
TB co-exists with other non-communicable diseases, including diabetes mellitus, and smoking adds to the risk of both health conditions.
“However, health systems in India and Indonesia address TB, diabetes and tobacco control as three independent vertical service delivery programmes in spite of clear interaction between the diseases. Various national TB and tobacco programmes are being implemented in a phased manner in India. Existing TB control programmes in Indonesia still rely on the passive finding of TB cases,” Patil said.
Addressing integrated healthcare programmes needs a synchronised response at all levels of the health system.
Improved coordination for planning and implementation of different programmes will facilitate to break down barriers and foster synergies of integrated healthcare,” said the research scientist at Vadu Rural Health Programme of KEM hospital.
Street plays to be organised to spread awareness against TB Vadu Rural Health Programme (VRHP), Community Health Research Unit (CHRU), and Manchar departments of KEM Hospital Research Centre have organised street plays to create awareness against tuberculosis.
The Central Government has planned to eliminate TB by 2025 and as part of the research activity led by ICMR, innovative programmes have been planned. “We will perform street plays in the tribal and rural villages of the Pune district. The plays will focus on the signs and symptoms of TB, the spreading of the disease in the household, contact-free diagnostic facilities and treatment in the public health institution, the stigma associated with TB, treatment success rates, beneficiary schemes for the patient during the treatment period and preventive therapy for the household and workplace contact,” said KEM hospital authorities.