24/03/2026
World Tuberculosis Day 2026
By Dr. Piyali Shome
đĢ Yes! We Can End TB: Commit, Invest, Deliver
Tuberculosis (TB) is curableâbut only if we act on time. As a public health professional, I want to share some very important and practical information that can truly save lives.
đ Recognize the symptoms early
If you notice any of these, donât ignore:
đ Golden 5 symptoms:
âĸ Cough for more than 2 weeks
âĸ Fever (especially evening rise)
âĸ Weight loss
âĸ Loss of appetite
âĸ Night sweats
đ Other common (classic) symptoms: fatigue, chest pain, breathlessness, blood in sputum, weakness, etc.
đĨ Where to go?
Visit your nearest Block Hospitalâthere is an RNTCP (National TB Elimination Programme) Coordinator available.
They will guide you for proper testing and treatment.
đ§Ē Testing is simple and FREE in government setup:
âĸ Sputum (spit) test â the most important first step
âĸ You can give sputum at:
â Block/District hospital
â Through ASHA workers (ASHA didi) â they can collect sputum from your home
â ANM / CHO at Health & Wellness Centres
âĸ CBNAAT (GeneXpert) test for quick detection
âĸ Chest X-ray if required
đ˛ Nikshay Platform & Support
All TB patients are registered under the Nikshay portal, ensuring proper follow-up and care.
đ˛ Nutritional Support (Nikshay Poshan Yojana)
TB patients receive monthly nutritional support for 6 months.
Also, many kind-hearted individuals and groups contribute additional nutrition support.
đ Treatment (MDT â Multi Drug Therapy)
TB treatment is completely FREE and highly effective if taken properly.
đ For Drug-Sensitive TB (Normal TB):
âĸ Duration: usually 6 months
âĸ Combination of medicines (HRZE initially, then continuation phase)
âĸ Must be taken daily, regularly, without missing doses
đ For Drug-Resistant TB (MDR-TB):
âĸ Duration: 9â18 months or more
âĸ Special drug regimen under strict medical supervision
â ī¸ Important Instructions:
âĸ Never stop medicines midway
âĸ Take medicines at the same time every day
âĸ Regular follow-up and sputum tests are necessary
âĸ Report side effects immediately to health workers
đ¨ Remember:
TB is highly infectious. If one family member is affected, all close contacts must be tested.
đŦ Break the stigma
There is no shame in TBâonly delay in treatment is dangerous.
Seek help early, follow treatment sincerely.
⨠Save yourself. Save your family. Save your community.
Together, we can end TB.
đĢ Yes! We Can End TB
đ āϞāĻā§āώāĻŖāĻā§āϞ⧠āĻāĻŋāύ⧠āύāĻŋāύ:
đ Golden 5 āϞāĻā§āώāĻŖ:
âĸ ⧍ āϏāĻĒā§āϤāĻžāĻšā§āϰ āĻŦā§āĻļāĻŋ āĻāĻžāĻļāĻŋ
âĸ āĻā§āĻŦāϰ
âĸ āĻāĻāύ āĻāĻŽā§ āϝāĻžāĻā§āĻž
âĸ āĻāĻŋāĻĻā§ āύāĻž āĻĒāĻžāĻā§āĻž
âĸ āϰāĻžāϤ⧠āĻāĻžāĻŽ
đ Classic 10 āϞāĻā§āώāĻŖ:
âĸ āĻĻā§āϰā§āĻāĻĻāĻŋāύā§āϰ āĻāĻžāĻļāĻŋ
âĸ āĻā§āĻŦāϰ
âĸ āĻāĻāύ āĻāĻŽā§ āϝāĻžāĻā§āĻž
âĸ āĻāĻŋāĻĻā§ āύāĻž āĻĒāĻžāĻā§āĻž
âĸ āϰāĻžāϤ⧠āĻāĻžāĻŽ
âĸ āĻĻā§āϰā§āĻŦāϞāϤāĻž
âĸ āĻŦā§āĻ āĻŦā§āϝāĻĨāĻž
âĸ āĻļā§āĻŦāĻžāϏāĻāώā§āĻ
âĸ āĻāĻĢā§ āϰāĻā§āϤ
âĸ āĻļāϰā§āϰ āĻāĻžāϰāĻžāĻĒ āϞāĻžāĻāĻž
đĨ āĻā§āĻĨāĻžāϝāĻŧ āϝāĻžāĻŦā§āύ:
Block Hospital, ASHA āĻĻāĻŋāĻĻāĻŋ, ANM/CHO āĻŦāĻž āύāĻŋāĻāĻāĻŦāϰā§āϤ⧠āϏā§āĻŦāĻžāϏā§āĻĨā§āϝāĻā§āύā§āĻĻā§āϰ⧠āϝāĻžāύāĨ¤
đ§Ē āĻĒāϰā§āĻā§āώāĻž:
āĻāĻĢ āĻĒāϰā§āĻā§āώāĻž, CBNAAT, Chest X-ray, Truenat, Culture, LPA āĻāϤā§āϝāĻžāĻĻāĻŋāĨ¤
đ˛ Nikshay:
āϏāĻŦ āϰā§āĻā§ āϰā§āĻāĻŋāϏā§āĻāĻžāϰ āĻāϰāĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧ āĻāĻŦāĻ ā§Ŧ āĻŽāĻžāϏ āĻĒā§āώā§āĻāĻŋ āϏāĻšāĻžāϝāĻŧāϤāĻž āĻĻā§āĻāϝāĻŧāĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
đ āĻāĻŋāĻāĻŋā§āϏāĻž:
âĸ āϏāĻžāϧāĻžāϰāĻŖ TB: ~ā§Ŧ āĻŽāĻžāϏ
âĸ MDR-TB: ⧝âā§§ā§Ž āĻŽāĻžāϏ āĻŦāĻž āϤāĻžāϰ āĻŦā§āĻļāĻŋ
â ī¸ āĻĒāϰāĻŋāĻŦāĻžāϰ⧠āĻāĻāĻāύ āĻāĻā§āϰāĻžāύā§āϤ āĻšāϞ⧠āĻ
āύā§āϝāĻĻā§āϰāĻ āĻĒāϰā§āĻā§āώāĻž āĻāϰāĻžāύāĨ¤
đŦ āϏāĻžāĻŽāĻžāĻāĻŋāĻ āϞāĻā§āĻāĻž āύāϝāĻŧâāϏāĻā§āϤāύāϤāĻž āĻāϰā§āϰāĻŋāĨ¤
⨠āύāĻŋāĻā§ āĻŦāĻžāĻāĻā§āύ, āĻ
āύā§āϝāĻĻā§āϰāĻ āĻŦāĻžāĻāĻāĻžāύāĨ¤