How does one reach out to millions of people living with TB and spread out in thousands of villages in a country like India? How does one make sure that these people living in remote communities find out their status, and ensure that they complete their treatment successfully?

India has harnessed the power of the Anganwadi workers, committed female village volunteers who are boosting the fight against this deadly disease.

Anganwadi workers assist in referring suspected TB cases to testing centers, and in providing treatment and follow-up on a daily basis, to tens of thousands of TB patients.

Dr. Partha Mandal, the Chief Medical Officer in the Central TB division of India’s Directorate of Health Services, describes how India is working with this traditional network of women villagers to dramatically increase the number of detected and treated TB cases.

" When the patients default it is very easy for the Anganwadi worker to retrieve them, because she is from the village, she knows every house, every person who lives there, and people respect her"

" When a patient is registered, the name, the
TB number, age, sex, it is all written on the box, and
all the medicines will be coming out of the Patientwise Box,
so there is never a stock out"