Mysuru: District Department of Health and Family Welfare and District Tuberculosis (TB) Control Centre together will launch a TB Detection Campaign in all the taluks of Mysuru District from July 15 to 27.

This was disclosed by Additional DC Poornima chairing a preliminary meeting in the context of the proposed campaign at DC’s office here yesterday.

Poornima said that TB is an infectious disease, usually caused by Mycobacterium Tuberculosis (MTB) bacteria, which is usually found among people living in slums and working in garments and related factories. She asked to officials to focus on those people and suggested to hold more awareness programmes on TB in rural areas by installing boards providing information on how TB spreads and ways to curtail that. She said that such good measures would evolve a TB-free nation by 2025 as envisaged by the government.

District TB Control Officer Dr.P. Ravi said that during the campaign, the areas where more cases of TB have been detected would be visited and suspect patients would be subjected for treatment. About 370 areas have been identified and about 1.2 lakh houses would be visited to cover about 6 lakh people. Totally 1,328 teams have been constituted to undertake the campaign with 2,670 staff. 

Awareness campaign would be held at schools and Anganawadi staff would also be utilised in the campaign. TB awareness messages would also be displayed on MCC’s garbage collection vehicles and in KSRTC buses, explained Dr. Ravi.

District Health Officer Dr.R. Venkatesh, District Surgeon Dr. Basavaraj and others attended the meeting.