To raise social awareness among schoolchildren about tuberculosis (TB), the district TB office has unveiled a special project called “Yes! Campaign”.
According to officials, the special digital TB awareness campaign idea was developed by district TB officer B. Cency.
According to Dr. Cency, the name of the campaign was inspired by ‘Yes, we can end TB “, the slogan of World TB Day 2023. “The project is being implemented in Idukki for the first time in the State, in collaboration with the National TB Elimination Program (NTEP) wing of the Health department and the Department of General Education, “ she said.
“This campaign is aimed at fighting against stigma and discrimination associated with TB, which is one of the goals of TB elimination envisioned by the World Health Organization,” said Dr. Cency.
According to officials, “From Classes V to X, the project will be implemented in three steps. First, they will watch the health travelogue video about TB, which was taken in the background of Edamalakudy, the first tribal panchayat in the State. Second, the class teachers will discuss TB in the classroom, and the students will present a report or programme in the form of peer education. The class teachers will share the programme feedback via Google forms, and data will be shared via Google. In Plus One and Plus Two classes, it will be done in a 5-step process. The students will participate in a pre-test, see the Edamalakkudy documentary, conduct a TB discussion in classroom, and then prepare a report or perform an activity in each class as a method of peer education. After, the students will attend a post-test, and the teachers will submit information in this regard through a Google Form. All school students from class 5 to 12 have to take TB pledge as well. It is a zero-cost digital programme.
On Saturday, Idukki District Collector Sheeba George launched the “Yes Campaign” at the District Collector’s chamber.
