An Interim Assessment of Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan -Understanding uptake and mid-term impact of the initiative.
Conducted by: Indian Institute of Public Health, Gandhinagar
In pursuit of India’s commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the ambitious goal of eliminating Tuberculosis (TB) by 2025, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has initiated the “Community Support to Persons with TB – Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan” (PMTBMBA). This initiative aims to engage communities by being a volunteer supporter named; Ni-kshay Mitra (NM)/Donor for effective TB elimination by offering holistic support to persons with TB.
The Indian Institute of Public Health Gandhinagar (IIPHG), renowned for its expertise in public health research and evaluation, was engaged by PAHAL, supported by USAID, and implemented by IPE Global, to assess the impact and learnings from the implementation of the PMTBMBA initiative. This assessment comes at a crucial juncture to understand the initiative’s progress, challenges, and strategies for future refinement.
Brief about Assessment
Background: Tuberculosis (TB) poses a significant health challenge globally, particularly in India. Undernutrition exacerbates India’s TB burden, with 2.4 million cases, causing economic losses and deepening poverty. In response, the Government of India initiated the “Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (PMTBMBA)” that engages Ni-kshay Mitras (NM); a voluntary donor to support consented individuals with TB for better outcome.
Objectives: The study aims to analyze coverage parameters, identify barriers and enablers, and explore TB patients’ and NM perspectives on support mechanism established under this initiative.
Methods: A mixed method cross-sectional study was conducted in two phases. The initial phase involved comprehensive analysis of secondary data, including assessing the uptake among NM and coverage of beneficiaries across the States. The second phase was executed with defined methodology involving a field survey using a multi-level selection process covering States (7), Districts (15), Blocks (30), NM (127), and individuals with TB (1122).
Conclusion: Strengthening partnerships, digital tracking, collaboration, need assessments, and decentralized planning can further enhance the initiative’s implementation, aiding India’s TB elimination efforts.