REVISED NATIONAL TUBERCULOSIS CONTROL PROGRAMME (RNTCP): DOTS STRATEGY

The National TB Control Programme was stated in 1962 with the aim to detect cases earliest and treat them. In the district, the programme is implemented through the district Tuberculosis Centre (DTC) and the Primary Health Institutions. The District Tuberculosis Programme (DTP) is supported by the state level organization for the coordination and supervision of the programme. The Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP), based on the DOTS strategy, began as a pilot project in 1993 and was launched as a national programme in 1997 but rapid RNTCP expansion began in late 1998

The Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme has initiated early and firm steps to its declared objective of Universal access to early quality diagnosis and quality TB care for all TB patients'. The year 2012 witnessed innumerable activities happening towards the same. Notification of TB; case based web based recording and reporting system ( NIKSHAY); Standards of TB care in India; Composite indicator for monitoring programme performance; Rapid scale up of the programmatic management of drug resistant TB services are few of the worthwhile mention in this regard.

NIKSHAY, the web based reporting for TB programme has been another notable achievement initiated in 2012 and has enabled capture and transfer of individual patient data from the remotest health institutions of the country.

Objectives :

• Pursue quality DOTS expansion and enhancement, by improving the case finding are cure through an effective patient-centred approach to reach all patients, especially the poor.
• Address TB-HIV, MDR-TB and other challenges, by scaling up TB-HIV joint activities, DOTS Plus, and other relevant approaches.
• Contribute to health system strengthening, by collaborating with other health programmes and general services
• Involve all health care providers, public, nongovernmental and private, by scaling up approaches based on a public-private mix (PPM), to ensure adherence to the International Standards of TB care.
• Engage people with TB, and affected communities to demand, and contribute to effective care. This will involve scaling-up of community TB care; creating demand through  context-specific advocacy, communication and social mobilization.
• Enable and promote research for the development of new drugs, diagnostic and vaccines. Operational Research will also be needed  to improve programme performance.