The Government of India has selected the ‘Akshaya Kerala’ project for tuberculosis prevention by the State Health Department as the best pilot project in the country in the field of public health. The scheme was selected by the Union Ministry of Health in the state for its excellence in tuberculosis prevention activities during the outbreak of COVID-19 epidemic and for the timely delivery of tuberculosis services to the backyards of all eligible persons.
Akshaya Kerala has been selected as the best model project in the country in recognition of the exemplary work being done by Kerala in the field of tuberculosis control. Minister of Health K.K. Shailaja said. As part of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, the Department of Health is implementing the ‘My Tuberculosis Free Kerala’ project to achieve the goal of eradicating tuberculosis by 2025. The project is being implemented by the Local Self Government Institutions in association with the Health Department as a popular movement against tuberculosis. The Akshaya Kerala project is the third phase of this project.
The COVID-19 epidemic posed a serious challenge to tuberculosis prevention activities. There was a delay in diagnosing tuberculosis as the main symptoms of both were cough and fever. He said that Akshaya Kerala has effectively implemented this challenge.
As part of the Akshaya Kerala project, 66,1470 people at high risk of tuberculosis were screened through home visits, 37,685 people with symptoms were tested and 802 cases were detected. The Department of Health has been able to provide free treatment and public health services to all those diagnosed with tuberculosis.
The TB test was performed on the elderly with high risk of tuberculosis, those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetics, smokers and alcoholics, malnourished and bedridden patients, and those with symptoms of cough, fever, weight loss, and night sweats for more than two weeks. Apart from this, the Central Government has also selected the tuberculosis research conducted by Kerala on the basis of Local Self Government Institutions as a model.
In October 2020, the Health Minister honoured panchayats that had carried out exemplary work in controlling tuberculosis. A total of 561 panchayats where children below five years of age were free of tuberculosis for 12 months, 688 local bodies for non-suspension of tuberculosis treatment and 707 local bodies for no cases of drug resistant TB were honored.
