Fighting tuberculosis: Why other states should follow Telangana and Andhra

Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have thousands of unqualified traditional practitioners who mainly work within communities and wield trust among them

In May 2016, 14-year-old Yesu from Vijayawada city was diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB). The diagnosis came about thanks to the ‘Little Doctors’ Club’ in his school, which is among 139 such health clubs being run in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana by World Vision India, a non-profit organisation, in collaboration with the respective State TB offices.

Part of World Vision India’s Focused Approach towards Childhood Tuberculosis (FACT) project, these health clubs have engaged nearly 50,000 children. High school students from class 6 upwards are taught to identify symptoms of TB--weight loss, cough prolonged over two weeks, and fever. The awareness thus created