Tuberculosis is a major public health problem in India. Each year over 1.8 million people in India develop tuberculosis and nearly 400,000 die from it. The HIV/AIDS epidemic in the country further compounds this problem.

 

The Government of India (GoI) is implementing the WHO recommended DOTS strategy through the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP).  By the end of June 2005 it was implemented in over 578 districts covering over 1030 million population. The programme has consistently achieved a treatment success rate of over 85% and has shown an increasing trend in case detection, reaching over 70% in 2004, in DOTS areas. To further increase case detection the programme is making efforts to involve health facilities in the public sector outside the health department, private sector, NGOs, corporate sector and medical colleges. GoI is committed to cover the entire country with RNTCP by the end of 2005 and achieve the global targets of 70% case detection and 85% treatment success in the entire country.

 

RNTCP is being funded mainly through a World Bank credit. Other donor agencies include DANIDA, DFID, GDF, GFATM and USAID.

 

WHO is supporting the RNTCP by providing technical assistance primarily through a network of about 120 Consultants who work closely with the district and state TB officers. At the central level, a National Professional Officer for TB and his team supports the Central TB Division of the Ministry of Health, GoI.  WHO’s technical assistance to RNTCP is supported through a partnership with CIDA, DFID and USAID.