27 March 2010
New Delhi, India
Project Connect, implemented by Population Services International (PSI), and supported by United States Agency for International Development (USAID), working in the field of HIV/AIDS and TB prevention and control, has initiated a public private partnership between Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program (RNTCP) and PVR cinemas to spread awareness on TB as part of the World TB week.
PVR Cinemas will show a 30 sec video film developed by RNTCP from March 27 to April 2 cross all its screens in the cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Hyderabad during all shows. DLF cinemas will show the 30 sec video clip across 23 screens in Delhi from March 26 to 1 April. The film features popular Bollywood personality Vivek Oberoi, as a postman, spreading awareness on TB and the DOTS program.
As per the RNTCP report, 2009, every year 9.1 million people develop active TB worldwide. The burden of active TB in India is about 20% or roughly 1.9 million. India is the number one country in terms of TB burden across the globe. Everyday 5000 people develop active TB and 1000 people die from TB in India i.e. 2 persons die every three minutes. 70% of TB patients are in the age group of 15 and 54 years. More than 300,000 children are forced to leave school because their parents have TB and around 100,000 women are rejected by their families because they have TB. HIV positive people have a 5–6 times lifetime risk of developing TB.
Central TB Division, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, has agreed to provide the film to PSI to facilitate private partnership in spreading awareness on the DOTS program.
Atul Kapoor, Program Director, Project Connect said, “TB is the leading opportunistic infection among People Living with HIV (PLHIV), often the first indicator of AIDS. It is therefore very important that people be sensitized about the symptoms of TB and counseled to take timely and appropriate treatment. We really appreciate that PVR Cinemas has come forward to support RNTCP by providing a platform to spread awareness on TB.”
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