A delegation from John Snow India Private Limited (JSIPL) visited the Leveraging, Engaging and Advocating to Disrupt TB Transmission or LEAD Delhi Project on 19 January 2024. The visit aimed to gain insights from the project and support to TB initiatives in the city.

The delegation included Dr Arun Kumar Jha (Senior Consultant, JSI), R Chandramaulika (Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning, JSIPL), Dr Asif Shafie (Public Health Policy and Planning, JSIPL), Dr Yogesh Patel (Public Health Expert, JSIPL) along with Manu Mayank (Head–Social Impact & Sustainability, HPPI), Shivani Narang (National Partnership Officer, HPPI) and Jahangeer Alam (Project Coordinator LEAD, HPPI).

The team first visited Dadi Park Night Shelter near Hanuman Mandir, Yamuna Bazar. They engaged with the homeless population, explored educational initiatives on TB and witnessed the screening of individuals for TB using an innovative AI cough sound app. They also gained insights about the work of City Field Officers, observing documentation procedures and the use of the Management Information System (MIS) for online data entry. Dr Asif Shafie and R Chandramaulika also visited the recovery shelter operated by the Centre for Equity Studies in Geeta Ghat, Delhi. This shelter provides essential support, including medicines and nutritious food, to TB patients. The delegation proceeded to Pili Kothi Chest Clinic, where they met with Dr Saroj Kumar Sharma (District Tuberculosis Officer [DTO]) to discuss issues related to homeless individuals and HPPI initiatives. They explored the local health facilities, focusing on record documentation and sputum collection. Also, a discussion with chest clinic staff focused on treatment procedures for pulmonary TB. The team examined patient cards to understand and ensure proper documentation. They also watched a TB awareness street play at Dadi Park Night Shelter. The visit concluded with a meeting at Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan (LNJP) Hospital with Dr Ashwani Khanna (Adviser of TB for the Delhi Government) and Dr Vishal Khanna (District Tuberculosis Officer [DTO]). Plans were made for a collective meeting involving all the stakeholders from HPPI, the State Tuberculosis Officer (STO), DTO and JSI. This meeting is scheduled for 8 February at LNJP hospital.

Project LEAD is being implemented by Human People to People India (HPPI) in collaboration with the National TB Elimination Program (NTEP) of India, JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc., funded by USAID under the Tuberculosis Implementation Framework Agreement (TIFA) Programme, to facilitate TB services for the urban ultra-poor.