Tuberculosis, as a communicable disease, is an ongoing global epidemic that accounts for high burden of global mortality and morbidity in many countries, including India. It is estimated that 26 lakhs individuals develop TB annually in India. 50 deaths occur every hour due to TB in India. FUJIFILM India in line with the government of India’s mission to make India TB free by 2025, launched the Never Stop Screening to Reduce Diagnostic Delays campaign in association with National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP).
During the first phase of the Never Stop Screening to Reduce Diagnostic Delays project FUJIFILM India reached over 1 million people and screened 12000 people with symptoms of TB. Through the campaign 117 new TB patients were Identified across 27 cities including Delhi, Dadri, Dehradun, Haridwar, Haldwani, Rudrapur, Patna, Jaipur, Indore, Kolkata, Raipur, Patna etc. While the first phase of the campaign was focused on the Northern belt of the Indian sub-continent in the second phase of the campaign we aim to reach out to the weaker sections in the western, southern and eastern belts of the country. The first phase of the campaign was carried out in partnership with NTEP, The Union, US aid, Qure.ai, along with our CTP partners Apollo Tyres, Ambuja Cement, GAIL India, TCI Foundation. The implementation agency was Group M.
FUJIFILM India’s second phase of the TB screening initiative aims to reach more than 5 million people and conduct X-ray for around 30,000 people using handheld X-ray machines. The campaign will focus on providing doorstep X-ray screening to facilitate TB diagnosis. The project will facilitate TB testing of identified presumptive cases. FUJIFILM India aims to increase awareness of TB as a curable disease and promote screening and early diagnosis among tea sector workers, difficult to reach population in rural and urban areas including the tribal population in the regions for Wayanad in Kerala, Kutch in Gujarat and Sivasagar district of Assam. This year we are implementing this campaign with the support of Pathfinder in partnership with NTEP The Union, US Aid, Stop TB and Qure.ai.
Through our campaign this year, we aim to target the tea workers in the Sontipur, Golaghat, Jorhat, Sivasagar, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia districts of Assam, the Industrial workers of Kutch in Gujarat and the Tribes of Wayanad in Kerala. These target population have limited accessibility to healthcare because they are busy in their daily chores and profession hence health is ignored. The target population in this area have a tough schedule from leaving for work at dawn to spending numerous hours in the tea gardens, healthcare takes a backseat due to their schedule. They do not have proper awareness of the symptoms of various health issues faced by them on a regular basis, or the knowledge of various government initiatives and treatments are available which can help them live a healthier life.
The Never Stop Initiative compliments Govt of India’s mission to make India TB-free by 2025. The Initiative considerably reduces the delay in screening using Fujifilm’s portable mobile X-Ray device - FDR Xair. With reduction in time for the diagnosis, the right treatment will be provided at the right time. Under the Never Stop Screening to reduce diagnostic delay’s initiative FUJIFILM India along with their partners will carry out TB awareness and screening campaigns to educate the difficult to reach population in the targeted regions about the how to recognize the symptoms of TB. Through the awareness camps the population is also educated on the benefits of early detection of TB and how it can be completely cured, if detected at the right time.
Through the campaign, Fujifilm is offering door-to-door awareness on TB and provide instant interpretation of mobile digital X-rays using Qure.ai’s artificial intelligence solution. Fujifilm’s FDR Xair is a mobile X-Ray device which is ultralight, compact, portable, and is also battery powered portable device. This device is both functional and ergonomic with a modern and stylish appearance for usage in the various medical treatment settings ranging from patients’ homes, in elder-care facilities, in emergencies care setups, at natural disaster sites, military field hospitals, sports medical facilities, coal mines, veterinary applications etc., to serve patients with extremely reduced mobility, thereby giving more freedom in X-Ray imaging by giving access to otherwise difficult scenarios. One such scenario is that of people who are living in the difficult to reach areas, where world class medical facilities is very rare. Fujifilm’s three mobile vans are driving across Sonitpur, Golaghat, Jorhat, Sivasagar, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, in Assam, Wayanad in Kerala, and Kutch in Gujarat equipped with the Fujifilm FDR Xair device to cater to on-the-spot screening of presumptive cases of TB. The campaign was initiated in September 2022 and will conclude in August 2023.
During the screening program all the positive TB cases will be supported by the Central TB Division of the government of India with further treatment required. The National TB Elimination Programme NTEP is assisting with TB testing and distributing TB medicines in accordance with the programme parameters through its existing lab network in these regions. TB can be cured if the right treatment is done in the right time. With the TB Harega, Desh Jeetega (TB will lose, India will win) motto we at FUJIFILM India is supporting the government of India in their mission to make India TB free by 2025. As we are on the second phase of this campaign, FUJIFILM India is further strengthening its commitment to deliver sustainable solutions to the masses, drive social change and NEVER STOP Innovating for a Healthier World.