Central Tuberculosis Division (CTD), Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW), Government of India (GoI) has implemented “Programme Towards Elimination of Tuberculosis” funded by “International Bank for Reconstruction and Development” (IBRD), The World Bank to improve the coverage and quality of Tuberculosis control interventions in the private and public sector in nine targeted states of India. To strengthen this initiative and intensify private sector engagement, STSUs were established in nine priority states.
We established STSU in the state of Tamil Nadu to support the engagement of private sector partners in the state in working towards the elimination of TB. Major activities performed were:
- Contract Management: Engaging service providers and providing technical support to the state TB cell onboarding of the agencies and the operational management of the contract
- Monitoring and Evaluation: Monitored the progress of contracted agencies on results-based outputs and optimised the use of Nikshay to review data for action.
- Capacity Building and Technical Support: Deploy dipstick surveys and qualitative assessments to review results of contracted agencies to provide recommendations for payments to agencies, including PPSAs, laboratory networks, pharmacy chains, e-pharmacies, etc.
- Innovative Financing: Facilitated support via innovative financing for implementation/ technical support, etc., that is made available to the State from any donor or philanthropic institutions.
Impact:
- State and District Capacity Strengthening: (i) Assisted 22 administrative districts in planning, implementing, and monitoring Nikshay Shivir activities, (ii) supported the State TB Cell in training, regular performance and death analysis, TN-KET data analysis, and other state-specific priorities, and (iii) approached and engaged 11 government departments to drive convergence critical to the State goal of ending TB by 2025.
- Community Engagement and Awareness: Conducted IEC and awareness activities, including school rallies, campaigns in public places (bus stands, railway stations), and participation in the Chennai Marathon.
- CSR Mobilisation and Partnerships: Initiated and expanded CSR engagement with companies such as Saint Gobain, Naga Rava, Reliance Warehouse, BNC, and Lions Club. Secured funding and proposals for advanced diagnostics, nutritional kits for TB patients, treatment adherence technologies, and employee volunteering.
- Data Analytics and Monitoring: Performed comprehensive TB data analysis, including private sector notification trends, treatment outcomes, and comparative assessments for 2023–2024. Analysed TB case notifications and mortality trends from 2020–2024, producing detailed reports and prevalence survey findings. Conducted GIS mapping of TRUENAT and CBNAAT machines, district-level X-ray facility performance evaluations, and analysis of TPT uptake.
- Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) Strengthening Provided end-to-end support for DBT processes, including handholding on Nikshay and PFMS workflows and on-the-spot solutions for district-level DBT issues. Analysed and verified over 100,000 blocked beneficiary payments, preparing updated records for resolution by the Central TB Division.
- Performance Evaluation and Reporting: Developed data-driven insights to inform state and district planning and shared periodic performance dashboards and reports with stakeholders to track progress and guide corrective actions
