CII initiates campaign for a TB-free city

Ahead of the World TB Day on March 24, the Confederation of Indian Industry joined hands with Tuberculosis Health Action Learning Initiative (THALI) and the West Bengal State Tuberculosis Cell to start a campaign for a TB-free Kolkata on Tuesday. This collaborative mission is named as 'Unite against TB.'

The objective of this mission is to link up with private healthcare providers, civil society organisations, and government agencies to drive out TB from the city.

This effort of CII will also generate grants under corporate social responsibility.

There were many TB patients across the nation who were neither detected nor reported to the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP).

RNTCP is the TB control initiative of the Centre.

As per the National Strategic Plan 2012–17, the programme would help in achieving a 'TB free India'. It provides various free of cost quality tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment services across the country.

Co-Chairman, CII Eastern Region Healthcare Sub-committee, Rupak Barua, said heath is not only a basic human right but also a key precondition to economic development.

"CII has worked to place the issue of public health on every corporate boardroom agenda. The focus of attention is on prevention of communicable diseases, promotion of healthy workplace conditions, raising nutrition levels among women and children and others," Barua said. In a conclave organised by CII at Lincoln Room of American Center, the experts discussed that one person dies nearly every minute of TB in India.