In a bid to tackle the alarming incidence of tuberculosis (TB) within the Gond Adivasi community in the villages of Panna district, Madhya Pradesh, we recently organised a series of awareness campaigns. Recognising the adverse social and economic conditions faced by these communities, our dedicated barefoot health volunteers are building community awareness on TB prevention and rehabilitation.Â
The volunteers put up awareness posters in strategic locations across the villages. In addition to visual aids, they actively engaged with community members, with TB-peer support groups, initiating informative discussions about the disease and how to overcome it and shared the essential do’s and don’ts.
The impact of TB and Silicosis have far reaching negative consequences on women and children apart from the painful suffering of the patients. The need to address it is urgent at community and policy levels. It is not an issue of ill-health but of the politics of resource abuse. While immediate medical relief and nutrition support are critical, the long-term sustainability of local habitats and communities through communities’ access and entitlements to resources is a much needed discourse in sustainability.