Tamil Nadu has pioneered an initiative across the State to reduce the mortality rate among people with tuberculosis named: TN-KET (Tamil Nadu Kasanoi Erappila Thittam) meaning TB death-free project.

What is TN-KET?

• TN-KET aims to reduce the mortality rate among people with tuberculosis.
• This initiative, which began in April 2022, has already achieved significant reduction in the number of early TB deaths.

Unique features

• Differentiated TB Care: This is at the heart of the initiative, which aims at assessing whether people with TB need ambulatory care or admission in a health facility to manage severe illness at the time of diagnosis.
• Radiological assessment: The guidelines require comprehensive assessment of 16 clinical, laboratory and radiological parameters.
• Triage of assessment: The preliminary assessment of patients based on just three conditions — very severe undernutrition, respiratory insufficiency, and inability to stand without support — was found to be feasible for quick identification at diagnosis.

Outcome: Significant reduction in early TB deaths

• Above features vastly cut down the delay and increasing the chances of saving lives.
• The initiative has achieved the initial target of 80% triaging of patients, 80% referral, comprehensive assessment and confirmation of severe illness, and 80% admission among confirmed.
• The State’s target is to achieve 90%-90%-90% at each district.

Key challenges

• The challenge is to increase the duration of admission, especially for people with very severe undernutrition, which comprises 50% of the admitted patients.

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TB mukt India

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