Empowering Women Health Workers to Fight Tuberculosis

Hello and welcome to my campaign!

To introduce myself: My name is Radhika and I'm a development sector professional from India with work experience across projects related to education, youth development and community welfare. Working so extensively to ensure equitable access and opportunities too all- it came as a huge surprise to me to learn that over 4.4 lakh persons in India die each year of Tuberculosis!

Tuberculosis is a respiratory communicable illness that is among the top 10 killers in India and is the highest of any infectious disease. Moreover- the bacteria causing TB was discovered 139 years ago and its vaccine for treatment more than 75 years ago.

The bottom line being that we have a disease with a cure/vaccine this is not being met due to various reasons of poverty, absence of health infrastructure, social stigma among others. 

India's goal to eradicate Tuberculosis by 2022 is in jeopardy due to the focus on COVID 19, the battle to fight TB and ensure access and quality healthcare to patients is an unmet but pressing need. With the technical support of Innovators in Health (IIH), Poject Potential- an NGO in Bihar working for community development and local leadership- are replicating their TB Support Project across 40 villages in Kishanganj Bihar.

Project Potential's team empowers ASHA workers to bring forward referrals of likely patients with Tuberculosis. Post screening these likely patients, our team is trained in facilitating their diagnosis and ensuring end to end treatment support and counselling for the infected patients. For every positive patient in the community who undergoes the full treatment cycle with the concerned ASHA, the later party receives a monetary incentive payment in installments.

Over the last 8 weeks Project Potential has managed to screen over 80 likely TB patients, spread community awareness about healthcare and safety to over 2000 persons and facilitate the TB Treatment of 10 positive patients. Apart from ensuring respite to patients with Tuberculosis, Project Potential is working in tandem to empower health workers (40 ASHA Workers till now) and work collaboratively to improve the public health ecosystem in the region.

You're support means everything to me. With your help Project Potential will be able to empower more community health workers trough learning materials, incentives and technical support along with helping patients recover from this archaic and age old respiratory illness.

Together, we can join hands and contribute to India's Goal of "Becoming TB Free by 2022".

Thank You!

Radhika Krishna