Apollo Tyres has joined the ‘Jan Andolan’ for Tuberculosis (TB) free India to contribute to India’s National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP) to meet the ambitious goal of eradication of TB from India by 2025, five years ahead of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 2030).
Apollo Tyres, in association with United States Agency for International Development (USAID), International Union Again Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) and Central TB Division (CTD) organised Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu focused virtual event on TB-free India.
Apollo Tyres concluded a two-week long TB-free Transhipment Location campaign on World TB Day. With the objective of identifying TB cases among truckers and the allied population, across the country, the company reached out to more than 1,09,011 beneficiaries through awareness activities, and 1,415 people were tested for TB. 47 confirmed cases of TB were identified, and out of that 33 were linked to DOTS for treatment. This activity was carried out using Apollo Tyres Foundations’ 31 Healthcare Centres located across 19 states in India.
As per World Health Organisation (WHO) Global TB Report, 2020 an estimated 10 million people fell ill with TB globally in 2019, and India carries an estimated 26% of the global TB burden. The highest burden is in productive age group of 15-44 years.
Satish Sharma, President, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa (APMEA), Apollo Tyres Ltd said, “Corporates can have a significant role in ensuring the national agenda to eradicate TB, and they can cascade it to the entire value chain. Our value of ‘Care for Society’ propels us further to ensure that healthcare is deep-rooted in our communities we operate in. We have initiated the process of attaching corporates, NGO partners and others in this journey to raise awareness.”
This was the 2nd edition of Partnership for Action against Tuberculosis (PAcT) to sensitise the Corporates to join Jan Andolan for TB-free India by 2025. Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu’s State TB Officers Dr T Rama Rao and Dr Asha Frederick respectively shared current incidence rate of TB in their respective states, and the challenges being faced. Dr Nishant Kumar, Deputy Director (TB) CTD, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Arvind Kumar, Senior Advisor, Strategic Partnership, USAID/India, Dr Arjun Kalyanpur, Chief Radiologist and CEO, Teleradiology Solutions and Naresh Kumar Hasija, Associate Vice President, Mylan (A Viatris company), participated in a panel discussion and shared their views on the role of corporate sector to make this initiative successful.
Apollo Tyres signed the Corporate TB Pledge (CTP) in 2018 to contribute as much as possible to make the country TB-free by 2025, and as on date is providing TB services to truckers and allied population. Company’s TB initiative primarily aims at awareness generation, early diagnosis and treatment adherence, to reduce morbidity and mortality due to TB amongst the trucking community.
