Tamil Nadu honours 319 villages in four districts for becoming TB-free

The Health Department has honoured individuals from 319 panchayats in Vellore, Tiruvannamalai, Ranipet and Tirupattur districts after the villages achieved ‘Tuberculosis (TB) Free Village’ status in 2025.

The honourees included village elders, volunteers, NCC cadets and health workers who contributed to efforts against the infection in their respective panchayats.

Collector P.S. Leela Alex and Vandhana Garg honoured these individuals in Vellore and Tiruvannamalai, respectively.

Tiruvannamalai accounts for nearly half the villages

Tiruvannamalai recorded the highest number of TB-free villages among the four districts, with 157 villages receiving the status.

Vellore and Ranipet had 57 villages each, while Tirupattur had 48.

The achievement forms part of the implementation of the National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP) by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, health officials said.

The identification of TB-free villages is being carried out after the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2024, only 30 TB-free villages were identified in Tiruvannamalai.

During the same year, Vellore, Ranipet and Tirupattur together had 111 such villages.

The figures show the scale of the latest recognition across the four districts, while also reflecting the continuing process of identifying villages that meet the required criteria.

Population density and migration among concerns

Health officials said high-risk villages are identified on the basis of case studies conducted over the past five to ten years in the region.

P. Ashok, Deputy Director of Health Services (DDHS), TB (Tiruvannamalai), said population density remained a major reason for the spread of TB in the district.

“The study found that high population density remains a major reason for the spread of TB in the district, as the infection can spread much faster in densely populated areas. Migration from big cities is another reason for its spread, especially in tribal areas like Jawadhu Hills, which have been less affected by TB,” he said.

The health officials’ assessment links the village-level surveillance effort to conditions that can affect the spread of infection, including dense settlements and migration from big cities.

Door-to-door surveillance before declaration

A four-member medical team led by a senior TB treatment supervisor conducts door-to-door inspections in the identified villages as part of surveillance against the infection.

Samples collected in these villages are subsequently subjected to drug susceptibility testing (DST) for sensitive and resistant varieties of TB infection.

A village is declared a TB-free village only after this process, according to the information provided by health officials.

On average, one TB case for every 1,000 persons in a village is classified as a TB-free village.

Health officials said the field survey is conducted between June and September every year, before the onset of the Northeast monsoon.

This sequence places village identification, door-to-door inspection, sample testing and the final declaration within a defined surveillance process.

Patients and vulnerable groups

Tiruvannamalai currently has the highest number of TB patients under six-month treatment, at 3,000.

It is followed by Vellore with 1,800 patients, Ranipet with 520 patients and Tirupattur with 500 patients.

Health officials classify tipplers, smokers, diabetic patients and persons infected earlier as groups most prone to TB infection because of low immunity.

Workers in stone quarries and crushing units are also considered vulnerable because they inhale hazardous dust particles.

Health officials said the increasing number of TB-free villages reflects the State’s continued efforts to eliminate tuberculosis through sustained public health measures, active surveillance and community participation.

Source: The Hindu