Project Axshya (meaning “free of TB”) funded by Global Fund Round 9, is a civil society initiative to strengthen TB care and Control in India. The principle recipients of the project are The Union and World Vision.
Project Axshya aims to enhance access to quality assured TB services focusing on the vulnerable and marginalized, or ‘at risk’, populations and private healthcare providers in 285 districts including interventions in 40 urban sites.
REACH is a sub-recipient of The Union and the project is being implemented since 2010 in 14 districts of Tamil Nadu – namely Chennai, Thiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Vellore, Vilupuram, Cuddallore, Thiruvannamalai, Krishnagiri, Tanjore, Trichy, Madurai, Dindigul, Pudukottai, Thirunelveli – and is now in its Phase 3.
REACH is working with 38 NGOs and 75 Individual Volunteers to implement activities in the 14 districts of Tamil Nadu.
Project Objectives & Goals
- To achieve universal access to quality TB Care and Control (with a specific focus on vulnerable and marginalized populations)
- To strengthen systems for prevention, early diagnosis of TB and HIV in co-infected individuals for improved outcomes
- To enhance and upscale high impact TB diagnostics, treatment and prevention among vulnerable and marginalized population in both urban and rural districts
- To improve access to early diagnosis and treatment of Drug Resistant TB services
- To engage with private sector and other providers outside RNTCP for public health impact for TB Control
- To strengthen evidence to guide future policies for HIV and TB care and prevention; and
- To strengthen community support for both HIV and TB care and for reduction of stigma and discrimination.
Activities under Project Axshya
Under Rural Intervention:
- Organizing community meetings & Mid media programs to sensitize communities on TB
- Enhanced case finding (Axshya SAMVAD) – House-to-house sensitization on TB
- Facilitating diagnosis through sputum collection and transportation for presumptive TB patients
- Sensitizing and engaging Rural (alternate) Healthcare Providers (RHCPs)
- Empowering affected communities through sensitization on their rights and responsibilities, and strengthening the District TB Forums
- Strengthening TB-HIV collaborative activities by sensitizing and engaging TIs, DLNs, CSCs and ART centers
- Sensitizing prison inmates through prison intervention programs across districts
- Training & review of community volunteers and stakeholders
Under Urban Intervention:
- Enhanced case finding (Axshya SAMVAD) – House-to-house sensitization on TB
- Sensitization and engagement of Qualified Private Healthcare Providers
- Engaging range of Private Healthcare Providers and laboratories to ensure appropriate management and notification of TB cases.
- Supporting treatment adherence of TB patients through:
- Provision of flexi-DOT through Axshya Kiosks (Model DOTs centers)
- Innovative use of ICT and mobile technology.
- Involving community radio stations to:
- Improve understanding of TB among communities and strengthen civil society engagement
- build knowledge about locally available TB services among communities
- encourage public health officials to use community radio to disseminate key health messages to the communities.
Target Groups/Beneficiaries
The key target groups include:
- At risk populations, including slum dwellers, migrants, homeless, tribal, PLHIV, contacts, occupationally and medically predisposed (diabetics, silicosis, etc.), and marginalized groups with poor access to TB services.
- Private Healthcare Providers ranging from unqualified practitioners to corporate Hospitals and laboratories
