Kohima district on Thursday joined the national launch of the Joint Squad for Health (JOSH) campaign, marking a renewed push towards a people-centred, participatory and community-driven response to tuberculosis (TB).

The launch was held at the DC’s Conference Hall, Kohima, where health officials, Block Development Officers (BDOs), NCC cadets and My Bharat Volunteers were oriented on their roles in strengthening awareness, social mobilisation and community engagement for TB elimination.

Addressing the gathering, District Tuberculosis Officer Dr Chiben Kithan said the JOSH Team is a newly introduced public health campaign and youth mobilisation initiative of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), aimed at actively involving young people in the fight against TB.

Dr Kithan said 36 villages in Kohima district had attained TB-Free status last year and were felicitated during the programme to encourage them to sustain their achievement. He highlighted several interventions being undertaken to accelerate TB elimination, including free testing and nutritional support for patients.

Under the Ni-kshay Mitra initiative, the Governor of Nagaland has adopted 40 TB patients, while the Naga Hospital Authority Kohima (NHAK) has adopted 30 patients to provide essential nutritional support. The District Planning and Development Board has also opened a dedicated account to extend support to TB patients.

Dr Kithan stressed that reducing stigma and discrimination against people affected by TB remains crucial to the elimination effort. He identified poor turnout during screening programmes as one of the major challenges and urged Village Councils to mobilise residents effectively whenever free screening camps are organised.

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In his keynote address, ADC Kohima Ruopfukuotuo Noudi cautioned against the misconception that TB is a disease of the past. He said the continued prevalence of TB necessitated the Government of India’s intensified efforts under the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan to achieve complete eradication of the disease.

Noudi said that in recent years, greater emphasis had been placed on transforming the TB elimination campaign into a Jan Andolan, or people’s movement, through the active participation of all stakeholders. Such collective action, he said, was essential for early detection of cases, timely medical intervention and strict adherence to the complete course of treatment.

He urged all designated Nodal Officers to discharge their responsibilities with commitment and ensure that every person affected by TB receives the necessary support and treatment, contributing towards the goal of making Nagaland and the country TB-free.

Following the formal launch, a specialised orientation programme was conducted for BDOs, NCC cadets and My Bharat Volunteers. Dr Kithan explained that JOSH Teams had been constituted at the block level, with each team comprising five My Bharat Volunteers and five NCC cadets under the leadership of a Class-I Nodal Officer.

The programme concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Dr Chiben Kithan.