TB Awareness Campaign

"TB Awareness Campaign: Together We Can End TB" is being initiated in Nagpur Municipal Corporation by Disha Foundation with support from Janssen, Pharmaceutical division of Johnson and Johnson private limited.

On the occasion of 92nd Birth Anniversary of Hon Former Prime Minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee, this campaign was launched on 25th December 2016 by the hands of Hon. Mr Pravin Datke, Mayor of Nagpur Municipal Corporation and Hon Mr KrupalTumane, Member of Parliament of Ramtek, Nagpur in presence of Corporation Officials.

Information, Education and Communication (IEC) activities are being conducted for improvement in early identification of TB symptomatic and referrals from community aiding in early case detection, communication for treatment adherence; combating stigma and discrimination. Following are the IEC activities conducted for Comprehensive TB Awareness Campaign in Nagpur Municipal Corporation for a month in line with Government of India's "TB Harega Desh Jitega" Campaign featuring Amitabh Bachchan as ambassador,

The cell has also extended at some source villages. The Gram Panchayats at source level are actively engaged with the Cell. They have made contractors accountable for paying minimum wages and avoid wages exploitation and harassment at workplace. Few Panchayats have banned few contractors in their villages who had wages exploitation cases against them.

Migrant Friendly Health Programmes:

Health care utilization rates among migrants are often found to be poor. To some extent, this can be attributed to migrants feeling alienated from the government health system at temporary destinations and private facilities being too expensive. Migrant populations often cannot access the services/programmes due to their migration status, timings of their work and distance to services. Constantly changing destinations is also a problem.

Disha Foundation has initiated migrant friendly health programmes in Nasik in terms of mother and child health, Tuberculosis, Malaria and Occupational health.

Migrant's awareness building about health issue and empowerment for utilisation of government health services is major component of the programme. Active involvement of migrants employers (such as construction companies, hotel industry, farmers etc) is key feature of this programme.

Sensitisation of government health providers is also initiated. A formal referral system for utilization of government health services is introduced, which is approved by district health services. A triplicate referral form is developed for migrants, government health services (civil hospital, urban health center etc) and Disha. Migrants are referred to health services by Disha through its trained community leaders. The referral system is getting popular among migrants as it helps them to get direct treatment from doctor without much discussion, as the medical history and related details are provided in the form. The backside of form also contains contact information of all government health services; the referral service provides increased access levels to health care for migrants, and it also helps for increased awareness level to government health system.

Private agencies such as Rotary clubs local medical colleges, are also important stakeholder of this programme.

Prison Health

Disha had intervention with the jail inmates both at male and female ward at central jail, Nasik during 2002-03. Project is designed to address and meet the health needs of jail inmates specially focused on HIV/AIDS, STDs and socio-physiological health. The project was supported by Action Aid, UK and is finished in 2003.