The theme for World TB Day 2003 is people with TB and the slogan is ‘DOTS cured me – it will cure you too! States and districts had been sent guidelines to organize activities around this theme. There has been a wide scale observance of World TB Day in different districts and States with great enthusiasm and dedication.

At National level, messages on the World TB Day from Hon’ble President, Prime Minister of India, Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare, Secretary Health, GOI, Director General of Health Services, Govt. of India along with information about DOTS were published in leading English & Hindi national dailies. This year’s theme was also highlighted through these messages. There has been extensive coverage in regional newspapers on TB control at state level and messages from the VIPs including Governor and Chief Minister of states have been published in the regional newspapers in English, Hindi and regional languages.

Media Campaign was also launched around World TB Day by the mass media agency that has been hired at national level. TV spots using prominent Indian cricketers were telecast during the World Cup matches and till the end of March 2003 at national and few regional channels. The messages also carried the national logo that has been adopted at National level. The states and districts have also started using this logo in all campaigns and images of logo are put on website for use by states and districts. This is available in 13 languages on website.

World TB Day was also marked by organization of rallies, symposiums, radio & television talks/discussions, public meetings, and seminars at different state and district head quarters for raising awareness amongst masses about tuberculosis. Seminars and sensitization meeting were organized for health care providers, NGOs and Local level Institutions. Banners and hoarding were put on the important locations and buildings. Quite a number of states involved school children by organizing poster making and slogan writing competition. Children wee distributed prizes for the best poster and slogan and these poster and slogan would be used through out the years for IEC activities. Some of the states organized Innovative events with the involvement of cured patients, such as cricket match between TB patients and the health care providers.

ANDHRA PRADESH

• Launching of RNTCP service delivery in districts of Nizamabad & Adilabad
• Press Publicity of the event
• Rallies of cured patients, paramedical staff, NGO Representatives in all District headquarters
• Distribution of pamphlets
• Public meetings
• Distribution of gifts to patients
• Vizianagaram district have big rally where more than 3000 people participated. District Collector flagged of the rally
• Big Rally in Warangal where 1500 people participated
• Media coverage of the World TB Day functions
• Special programmes were broadcasted in some of the districts
• Participation of governmental officials, Professors of medical colleges in meetings

ARUNACHAL PRADESH

• Publication of messages from Health Minister of state in local newspapers
• Panel discussion on TV
• Essay Competition for school children and distribution of prizes
• Procession of about three hundred students carrying messages on TB
• Display of banners and distribution of pamphlets
• Training of MPWs in district Tezu
• Rally of school children and public
• Drawing competition for school children
• Radio talk
• Awareness seminar for public
• Seminar on TB

ASSAM

• Launching of RNTCP in 6 new districts
• Exhibition on RNTCP & DOTS
• Public meeting where government officials and professors from medical college participated
• Public function at Guwahati
• Audio visual publicity

BIHAR

• Public meetings
• Rally
• Display of banners and posters
• Publication of article on TB in Newspapers
• Press publicity to World TB Day
• Distribution of pamphlets

CHANDIGARH

• Distribution of pamphlets
• Distribution of gifts to the cured patients
• Public function at Civil dispensary
• Prizes to workers with outstanding performance in RNTCP
• Poster making competition and awards to best entries
• Radio publicity through jingles on TB
• Cable TV publicity

CHHATTISGARH

• Rally of cured patients
• Display of posters and banners
• Public meeting

DELHI

• Publication of message of Chief Minister and Health Minister in leading newspapers
• Exhibition and public function at LRS Hospital
• Drawing and painting Competition
• Distribution of pamphlets
• Display of banners
• Public meeting at Mangolpuri where more than 600 people participated including cured persons
• Interaction Meeting following rally
• Community meetings for awareness generation

• Media coverage of the event
• Radio talk on TB

GUJARAT

• Public meetings at district and state level
• Cricket match between cured persons and the DTC staff
• Public rally
• Publication of newsletter at state level
• Sharing of experience by DOTS patients
• Distribution of pamphlets
• Display of banners and posters
• Involvement of other sectors in World TB Day

HARYANA

• Speech by Health Minister on All India Radio
• Bus panels on TB
• Car & scooter stickers with TB messages Public meeting at the district implementing RNTCP
• Sharing of experience by cured persons
• Distribution of gifts to cured persons
• Public rally
• Skit by school students
• Newspaper coverage of the events organized in the districts

HIMACHAL PRADESH

• Participation of Private practitioners, cured persons, TB patients and medical staff in meeting in the districts
• Sharing of experience by cured persons
• Public meetings
• Rally with the participation of cure persons

KARNATAKA

• Public function
• Awareness Camp
• Newspaper publicity
• Radio publicity
• Display of banners and posters at important locations
• Distribution of pamphlets
• Distribution of refreshments to the participants

KERALA

• Month long programme
• All 63 TUs have organized World TB Day
• Sanitization programme and CMEs
• Cured persons club named ‘Mukthi’ formed at all TUs
• Public meetings where cured persons shared their experiences
• State IMA, Rotary & TB Association participated in the public function
• Essay and painting competition for school; children with the help of local NGOs
• Inauguration of RNTCP in ESI by Labour Minister in a public function
• Phone-in programme to answer queries from public
• Distribution of gifts to cured patients
• Media coverage –press conference, talk, articles on RNTCP in newspapers,
• Display of banners, placards,

MADHYA PRADESH

• Public function
• Rally of cured persons
• Newspaper publicity

MAHARASHTRA

• Public meeting with the involvement of cured patients, private practitioners, NGOs, press and public
• TV spot on Doordarshan
• Public rallies in slum area and other crowded pockets in the district
• Street Plays
• Inauguration of microscopy centers
• Exhibition on TB
• TB patients took pledge of DOTS
• Poster drawing Competition
• Organization of TB Stall at railway station
• Distribution of pamphlets on DOTS
• Newspaper publicity in local newspapers
• Seminar
• Exhibition on tuberculosis

NAGALAND

• Public function under the chairman ship of Civil Surgeon, Deputy Commissioner and other government officials participated
• Radio talk in local dialect
• Meeting cum get together with patients under DOTS
• Distribution of refreshments
• Newspaper coverage

PUNJAB

• Public function with the participation of Deputy Mayor and Municipal Commissioner in Patiala
• Newspaper coverage of the events

RAJASTHAN

• Rally of cured persons, students that was flagged off by CMO
• Distribution of pamphlets
• Mike publicity and street plays
• Cinema slides and cable coverage of TB messages
• Puppet shows at different locations
• Release of book on DOTS
• Poster and slogan writing competition Staff quiz on RNTCP
• TB awareness camp in slums
• Rally of school children
• March by Nursing students
• CME at Medical College
• Press conference with the municipal councilors
• Health talk in local radio
• Publicity through newspapers
• Message from Governor, Chief Minister, Health Minister, Chief Secretary, Health Secretary, DMHS were read in all functions in CHC, PHC and district HQ
• Exhibition on DOTS and TB
• Television cable advertisement

SIKKIM

• Public Function with the participation of district officials, NGOs, Panchayats, TB patients, students and local people.
• Public function at PHC level
• Quiz competition
• Rally
• Sharing of experience by TB patients
• Drawing Competition
• Prize distribution
• Street play on TB
• Talk on DOTS

TAMILNADU

• Awareness meeting at district level
• Essay Competition and distribution of prizes for best essay
• Public rally
• Meeting of formal leaders of villages
• Street corner talk and group discussion in slum areas
• Media and newspaper coverage
• Release of book on TB
• Distribution of pamphlets
• Participation of non-governmental sector in the activities of World TB Day
• Donation of Rs.15000/ for publicity by Rotarian
• Human Chain was formed by General public and with members of female self help groups and cured TB patients in district Erode
• Participation of medical college in public function
• Meeting of Vellore Medical College and NGOs

UTTARAPRADESH

• Public function with the involvement of Deputy Commissioner, CMO, Principal Medical College, NGOs’ representative, and other in the districts
• Local coverage in the press
• Rally of cured patients where large numbers of patients participated.
• Meeting of cured persons following rally
• Meeting of DOT Providers with CMO & DTO
• CME Workshop for Private practitioners
• Series of Sensitization meetings
• Poster making competition for school children
• Exhibition on RNTCP

WEST BENGAL