Odisha Launches Large-Scale TB Screening in 13,271 High-Risk Villages

Odisha will step up tuberculosis (TB) surveillance across 13,271 villages identified as being at elevated risk, expanding its efforts under the Centre’s intensified TB Mukt Bharat campaign to improve early detection and treatment of the disease.

The large-scale screening exercise will target vulnerable populations in villages flagged through an artificial intelligence-based risk assessment conducted under the National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP). Health authorities will carry out door-to-door screening while strengthening diagnostic services to identify patients at an earlier stage and reduce transmission.

The campaign is part of the second phase of the nationwide 100-day TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, which focuses on active case detection in high-risk rural and urban locations. Odisha’s 13,271 villages have been selected for intensified intervention based on factors associated with a higher likelihood of tuberculosis incidence rather than confirmed outbreaks.  

State health officials said frontline workers, including Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs), Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs), and other field staff, will conduct household visits to identify individuals showing TB symptoms. Those suspected of having the disease will undergo diagnostic testing using chest X-rays and molecular diagnostic tools, with confirmed patients being linked immediately to treatment under the NTEP.

The drive will also prioritise people considered particularly vulnerable to tuberculosis, including senior citizens, individuals living with diabetes or HIV, malnourished persons, tobacco and alcohol users, migrant workers, and others with weakened immunity. Health teams will simultaneously undertake awareness campaigns to encourage people with persistent cough, fever, weight loss or other symptoms to seek testing without delay.

Officials said the intensified surveillance is intended to reduce the number of undiagnosed TB cases, improve treatment outcomes and help Odisha contribute to India’s goal of eliminating tuberculosis.

The initiative aligns with the Union government’s ongoing TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, which has significantly expanded active screening across the country. According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, more than 1.2 lakh high-risk villages, wards and congregate settings have been covered during the second phase of the campaign, while over 28 crore vulnerable individuals have been screened since the intensified programme began. The ministry also reported a 34-fold increase in chest X-ray screening following the deployment of handheld X-ray machines and reiterated the objective of ensuring that every undetected TB case is identified and treated.