Meghalaya Rural Bank joins fight against TB with innovative passbook campaign

Meghalaya's State Health Society has launched a unique Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative to combat tuberculosis (TB) in partnership with the Meghalaya Rural Bank (MRB). The 'CSR Engagement Initiative for Dissemination of TB Messages' aims to spread awareness about the disease through an innovative approach: printing TB-related information on bank passbooks.

Ashish Yadav, Chairman of MRB, announced that the bank will display TB awareness messages in English, Garo, and Khasi languages on passbooks, targeting rural populations across Meghalaya. This initiative aligns with the government's financial inclusion program and the national goal of TB elimination.

Dr M Syiemlieh, State TB Officer, provided an update on Meghalaya's TB scenario. From January to June 2024, the state registered 2,305 TB cases, compared to 4,971 cases in the entire year of 2023. Syiemlieh emphasised the importance of a multisectoral approach in accelerating progress in TB awareness and intervention.

The passbook initiative is part of a broader strategy to engage various sectors in the fight against TB. By including pictures and basic information about TB symptoms, these passbooks become educational tools that can potentially save lives.

Syiemlieh also highlighted the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, a national initiative aimed at eliminating TB. In Meghalaya, since the programme's launch in June 2024, approximately 6,666 nutritional food baskets have been distributed, and around 2,203 TB patients have received support. However, there is still a significant need for assistance, with over 1,300 consenting TB patients currently without support.

MRB has printed 10,000 passbooks with TB messages for distribution across all its branches in Meghalaya. During the event, passbooks were distributed to 10 beneficiaries, including three current TB patients and one TB Champion advocating for other patients and the community.