Kangra To Conduct Comprehensive Study On Tuberculosis Burden And Disease Hotspots

Dharamshala: In a major push to eliminate tuberculosis, the Kangra district administration has directed the health department to conduct a detailed study to map the regional TB burden. The study aims to identify high-risk geographical hotspots, transmission factors, and vulnerable communities across Himachal Pradesh's most populous district.  

The directive was issued by Kangra Deputy Commissioner Hemraj Bairwa during a District TB Death Audit Committee meeting under the National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP). Reviewing the data from the second quarter of 2026, which recorded 14 TB-related fatalities, Bairwa emphasized the urgent need for targeted, evidence-based public health interventions.

The audit revealed that most deaths were linked to advanced non-TB co-morbidities, such as cardiovascular diseases, liver conditions, and malignancies.  Key Decisions Taken:Strengthening Referral Centers: Civil Hospitals in Palampur, Nurpur, and Dehra, along with Zonal Hospital Dharamshala and Dr. Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College in Tanda, will be upgraded to better handle critically ill TB patients.  

NCD Program Integration: Health officials have been instructed to align TB elimination efforts with Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) screening programs. High-risk individuals suffering from diabetes or hypertension will receive intensive home-based monitoring.  

Active Screening Camps: The district will escalate active screening in congested urban areas, industrial workplaces, and public congregate settings.  The proposed study's findings will help authorities formulate specific localized action plans. Furthermore, block-level medical teams have been asked to strictly monitor treatment adherence and evaluate the nutritional and social support requirements of active patients to curb preventable deaths.