Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP)

Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP)

RNTCP or the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program is the State-run Tuberculosis Control Initiative of the Government of India. It incorporates the principles of Directly observed treatment-Shortcourse (DOTS) - the global TB control strategy of the World Health Organization . The program provides, free of cost, quality Anti-Tubercular drugs across the country through the numerous Primary Health Centres and the growing numbers of the private-sector DOTS-providers

The RNTCP has now entered its second phase in which the programme aims to firstly consolidate the gains made to date, to widen services both in terms of activities and access, and to sustain the achievements for decades to come in order to achieve ultimate objective of TB control. All components of new Stop TB Strategy are incorporated in the second phase of RNTCP. They are:

• Pursue quality DOTS expansion and enhancement, by improving the case finding are cure through an effective patient-centred approach to reach all patients, especially the poor.
• Address TB-HIV, MDR-TB and other challenges, by scaling up TB-HIV joint activities, DOTS Plus, and other relevant approaches.
• Contribute to health system strengthening, by collaborating with other health programmes and general services
• Involve all health care providers, public, nongovernmental and private, by scaling up approaches based on a public-private mix (PPM), to ensure adherence to the International Standards of TB care.
• Engage people with TB, and affected communities to demand, and contribute to effective care. This will involve scaling-up of community TB care; creating demand thorugh context-specific advocacy, communication and social mobilization.
• Enable and promote research for the development of new drugs, diagnostic and vaccines. Operational Research will also be needed to improve programme performance.
• Infection with P.falciparum is the most deadly form of malaria.
• Improve access of rural people, especially poor women and children to equitable, affordable, accountable and effective primary health care.

The Revised National TB Control Programme now aims to widen the scope for providing standardized, good quality treatment and diagnostic services to all TB patients in a patient-friendly environment, in which ever health care facility they seek treatment from. Recognizing the need to reach to every TB patient in the country, the programme has made special provisions to reach marginalized sections of the society, including creating demand for services through specific advocacy, communication and social mobilization activities.