36% of TB patients in four T.N. districts are migrants: Data [Video]

A recent report by the Resource Group for Education and Advocacy for Community Health (REACH) highlights efforts to address tuberculosis (TB) among migrants in Tamil Nadu. Several challenges, including loss to follow-up, occupational risks in hazardous environments, and lack of official documentation, hinder diagnosis and treatment for this vulnerable group.

In collaboration with the National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP) and with support from the STOP TB Partnership, REACH implemented a pilot intervention in four Tamil Nadu districts — Chennai, Coimbatore, Kancheepuram, and Vellore — from July 2023 to December 2024.

Chart 1 shows the age-wise split of TB who were screened in the first four districts of Tamil Nadu

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As part of the project, people with TB at selected health facilities were screened to identify migrants among them. Of the 11,564 TB patients screened, the majority were aged 15–59 years (77) and male (66%).

Chart 2shows the gender-wise …