HPPI’s Project LEAD (Leveraging, Engaging, and Advocating to Disrupt TB Transmission) organised a successful Dissemination Workshop in Howrah, Kolkata on 4th July 2024. The event was graced by Dr Santosh Kumar Roy (STO, West Bengal), Dr Kisalay Datta (CMOH, Howrah Municipal Corporation), Dr Prasun Kumar Ghosh (DTO), among other health officials. It served as a fantastic opportunity to foster collaboration among key stakeholders and celebrate the remarkable achievements of the project. The workshop provided a platform for various TB stakeholders to come together and highlighted intensified case detection through active screening and enhanced treatment support, as well as the critical importance of engaging both systemic and community stakeholders.

The project team identified 4,953 presumptive TB cases from over 150,702 individuals screened, representing a 3.29% prevalence rate. This high identification rate underscores the project’s effectiveness in symptom recognition and its impact on enhancing community awareness and empowering vulnerable populations to seek timely healthcare. Notably, 402 out of the 408 diagnosed PwTB cases initiated treatment, resulting in a remarkable 98.53% treatment initiation rate. These figures stand as a testament to the project’s dedication to ensuring access to quality care and its positive impact on improving treatment adherence and outcomes among marginalised populations.

Project LEAD is being implemented among the homeless, migratory, and urban slum populations in four mega cities: Howrah, Delhi, Hyderabad, and Peri-Urban Mumbai in partnership with USAID, TIFA, JSI, and the Central Tuberculosis Division (CTD).