A team of USAID visited project LEAD (Leveraging, Engaging and Advocating to Disrupt TB Transmission) site near the Bangla Sahib gurudwara in New Delhi on 20th October. The team included Nidhi Bouri (Deputy Assistant Administrator for Global Health, USAID), Rachel Morton (Assistant Administrator for Global Health, USAID), Dr Reuben Swamickan (Deputy Director USAID India), Dr Bhavin Vadera (Project Management Specialist, USAID India), Kachina Chawla (Health Office Senior Advisor, USAID India), Venkatesh Roddawar (Project Director, TIFA Project, JSI India), Dr Yogesh Natwarlal (JSI India), Dr Asif Shafie (JSI, India) and Manoj Karnik (Wadhwani AI). HPPI’s team included Lisbeth Aarup (Head – Project Development, HPPI), Manu Mayank (Head – Social Impact & Sustainability, HPPI) and Jahangeer Alam (Project Coordinator LEAD, HPPI) among other field staff. The entire team interacted with the residents of rain baseras or homeless night shelters.  

Project LEAD is being implemented by 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.