A comprehensive campaign is scheduled across Pune district from November 20 to December 6 aimed at detecting cases of leprosy and tuberculosis within the community. These bacterial diseases impact thousands annually, prompting the screening of the entire district populace.
In a recent review meeting led by District Collector Dr Rajesh Deshmukh, the preparedness for the campaign was assessed. He urged the health department to execute the campaign meticulously, stressing the need to survey every household in the district. Deshmukh also directed educational authorities to arrange awareness camps about these diseases in all schools. In addition to conducting health examinations for students, he ordered the collection of information sheets concerning leprosy and tuberculosis in their families. Moreover, ASHA workers, male volunteers, and health personnel have been assigned to conduct door-to-door visits to identify symptoms of tuberculosis and leprosy.
A total of 4,118 teams have been formed for the joint leprosy and tuberculosis detection campaign in the district. Over 56.13 lakh individuals from both urban and rural areas will undergo examination during this initiative, with the ultimate goal of making the district leprosy and tuberculosis-free by 2027.
The meeting saw the participation of district health officer Dr Sachin Desai, district tuberculosis officer Dr Sanjay Darade, as well as Dr Irfan Lohare from the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Dr Anjali Dhone from the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC).