Target TB working in partnership with Alternative for India Development (AID)

Country/regional profile

India has a population of approximately 1.1 billion people and is one of the world's fastest growing economies, yet over a quarter of people in India still live on less than $1 a day.

Poverty and TB are inextricably linked and India has the highest incidence of TB in the world. Approximately 1.9 million new cases emerge each year and over 1,000 Indians die of TB every single day.

This project targets tribal communities in the North Eastern states of Jharkhand and Orissa. These regions are remote with little healthcare infrastructure making it difficult for people to access health services. As a result, these communities suffer from high rates of TB and other diseases such as HIV. 

AID’s mobile clinic travels to remote communities to provide TB testing services, including sputum microscopy and x-rays

AID’s mobile clinic travels to remote
communities to provide TB testing
services, including sputum microscopy
and x-rays

Our work with AID

Target TB is working in partnership with AID to bring TB healthcare and awareness to remote and marginalised tribal communities in Jharkhand and Orissa. AID has strong established relationships with communities in these regions having previously carried out sexual health and HIV control programmes for many years. Building on their community based and community led experience and expertise, AID is integrating TB in to their existing programmes as the disease has become a major health issue in the area.

Project Aims

The aim of the project is to enable vulnerable and excluded tribal communities in the states of Jharkhand and Orissa to excersie their rights and entitlements to TB health services.

Project Activities

  • Healthcare workers and community representatives are given training in TB control to improve their knowledge and awareness of TB, reduce stigma and encourage people with, or at risk of, TB to go for testing. Training is also provided on associated issues such as HIV, nutrition and gender issues which impact on peoples health and welfare.
  • Mobile clinics provide high quality testing and treatment services to isolated tribal communities where no other facilities are available.
  • Activities such as street drama, rallies, advocacy workshops and regular health newsletters are used to help strengthen community participation in the campaign against TB.
  • Advocacy workshops and regular coordination meetings stregthen government TB control efforts and improve the quality of TB services to meet the needs of tribal communities.