The Indian Journal of Tuberculosis - LRS Institute of Tuberculosis ...

186
EDITORIAL
1.6% knew that tuberculosis is caused by the germs and only 6.9% knew about the need of treatment
for 6-8 months’ duration and 0.8% knew about the preventive role of BCG. On the other hand, , 72.6%
respondents had the myth that TB patients should be isolated from the family and 80.6% had
misconceptions that food sharing should be avoided with these patients. This substantiates our view
that there is still an appalling ignorance and superstition about the disease, its spread, causation, etc.
There is a dire need for creating awareness, so as to remove myths about tuberculosis in such groups
of people in the community.
On social mobilization, there are different ways which are being employed by various agencies
on different occasions. The second related article in this issue is a study from rural community in
south India 6 . It has highlighted and identified different communication channels for spreading awareness
about the tuberculosis problem in the community. In this community-based study 38% of the people
were illiterates. The main sources of communication, commonly identified, were television and wall
posters. Another method of dissemination found to be very effective was the role of local associations
in the villages as 50% of these already had such type of local bodies. If we motivate and convince these
bodies, they can be very effective means of IEC activities in the local community.
M.M. SINGH
K.K. CHOPRA
REFERENCES
1. http://www.undp.org/mdg/millennium % 20 Developed % 20 Goals. pdf.
2. www. globallunghealth.org/social mobilization.
3. TB India 2006, RNTCP Status Report. Central TB Division, Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and
Family Welfare, Nirman Bhawan, New Delhi-110 011.
4. Social mobilization of NGOs. TB Control. IUATLD2005. Page 8.
5. Yadan, SP, Mathur, ML and Dixit AK. Knowledge and attitude towards tuberculosis among sandstrone quarry workers in
desert parts of Rajasthan. Indian J Tuberc 2006; 53:187-195.
6. Ramachandran, R, Jaggarajamma, K., Muniyandi, M and Balasubramanian, R. Identifying effective communication channels
in a rural community: A field report from south India. Indian J Tuberc 2006; 53:206-211.
Indian Journal of Tuberculosis