Quarterly Monitoring Report: Challenge TB - India Year 2 October-December 2015

The program is led by The Union and involves partnerships with PATH, KNCV, and FIND. The initiative aims to build political will and leadership to end TB in India and increase visibility for TB. In the second year of the program, significant achievements were made in engaging the private health sector to commit action on TB. The launch of "Mission TB-Free Haryana" by Medanta the Medicity, a large corporate sector multi-specialty hospital, marked a major milestone. The initiative involved the deployment of two mobile vans equipped with digital X-ray machines to provide TB diagnosis and treatment services to patients in peripheral health centers. The program aims to increase overall case detection and notification by the Revised National TB Control Program (RNTCP) in the state. The Challenge TB initiative also made progress in building political commitment and will amongst Members of Parliament (MPs). A "Parliamentarians Meet Towards a TB-Free India" was organized, which brought together 14 parliamentarians and one legislator from different political parties. The meeting sensitized MPs on the TB situation in India and the urgent need for action to end TB. The participating MPs committed to supporting TB care and prevention in India, including advocating for financial support for TB patients and their families, adopting villages to make them TB-free, and organizing free medical check-up camps to raise awareness on TB. The initiative also established partnerships with the Indian Institute of Health Management and Research (IIHMR) and the Indian Association of Parliamentarians for Population and Development (IAPPD). A Letter of Intent (LoI) was signed with IIHMR to encourage more research on TB amongst students and staff, while IAPPD organized an event to sensitize MPs on TB. In addition, the Challenge TB initiative supported a project offering upfront access to Xpert MTB/Rif (Xpert) testing for the diagnosis of pediatric TB in four major cities of India. The project demonstrated the utility of Xpert testing for diagnosis of TB in non-sputum specimens and successfully increased the number of providers and hospitals linked to Xpert laboratories. A total of 5,184 presumptive pediatric TB and rifampicin-resistant TB (RR-TB) patients were investigated using Xpert test, and 396 (7.6%) children were diagnosed with TB, including 41 (10.4%) RR-TB cases. Technical and administrative challenges were also identified, including the delay in forming the Steering Committee for the Call to Action and the sub-award to a creative agency. The Challenge TB initiative is exploring alternative options for the Steering Committee and is working to resolve the sub-award issue. The Challenge TB initiative in India is making significant progress in engaging the private health sector, building political commitment, and improving the diagnosis of pediatric TB. However, technical and administrative challenges need to be addressed to ensure the success of the program.