SHARE INDIA, through the NISCHIT Plus project, works with the Andhra Pradesh State AIDS Control Society to support people living with HIV (PLHIV). The project helps ensure that people get treatment quickly, stay on their medication, and receive regular health check-ups to keep their viral levels low.

It also strengthens care for those who have both HIV and TB and facilitates screening and management of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as hypertension, diabetes, and cancer to improve quality of life and reduce illness. All these efforts contribute towards the larger goal of ending HIV in India by 2030.

The project trains healthcare staff, improves the quality of services, and monitors patient outcomes to prevent treatment interruptions and reduce illness and death. It uses data and research to guide decisions, improve policies, and make HIV care more effective, sustainable, and patient-focused.

SHARE INDIA is strengthening India’s fight against TB by improving infection prevention and control (IPC) practices to protect both patients and healthcare workers. The project works across all levels of the health system—primary health centers, district hospitals, and medical colleges—to ensure TB is identified early, prevented, and managed effectively.

Hundreds of health facilities now follow standardized IPC measures, with regular assessments to track progress. Healthcare workers are also screened and offered preventive therapy to reduce their risk and keep them safe. TB screening is being expanded in schools, Anganwadis, and high-burden communities, with special efforts to detect TB early in children. Innovative tools like AI-based chest X-rays, advanced diagnostic tests, and holistic support services are improving TB case finding, prevention, and treatment adherence.

Through these initiatives, SHARE INDIA is helping reduce the spread of TB, safeguard healthcare workers and families, and move India closer to a TB-free future.

A regular phone call from our very own field worker (FW) Ms Komal, SHARE INDIA to Ramcharan (name changed), a DR TB patient from Dharavi showed a glimpse of his health condition, loss of job and income due to COVID-19 lockdown. Unable to pay house rent & large family to care for, he left for his hometown, Khandala, Maharashtra, without informing the NTEP programme staff.

Limited medicine stock for only 4 to 5 days left him bewildered, but Komal counselled & guided him to reach to the nearest health center in his hometown and meanwhile informed the Dharavi NTEP staff about Ramcharan’s migration.

With her support, Ramcharan visited the health centre in his village and received his medication sufficient for a few days. She went further, and put all her efforts in coordinating with TB staff at Dharavi, to check for any possibility of transfer of excess drugs at his village.

Ramcharan is still at his village. With no immediate plans to shift back to Dharavi, Komal is ensuring his drug adherence and follow-up tests. She is all glad and full of pride for her timely intervention, guidance and motivation towards keeping her patient on uninterrupted treatment regimen and follow-up. Breaking language barrier to ensure access to MDR-TB treatment and preventing loss to follow-up (LTFU).

Narayan Shankar (name changed) from Tamil Nadu was initiated on MDR TB treatment regimen in April 2020. Narayan was staying with his friend in Dharavi and making a living by selling tender coconut water. His business came to a standstill when the pandemic struck and as his only source of income was cut. He left for his hometown, Tirunelveli district with TB medicine stock of two months.

SHARE INDIA’s Field Coordinator (FC), Darshana, took a proactive approach, and collected Narayan’s alternate contact details and native address when the lockdown was announced. She does this exercise for all her migrating patients who have a high probability to be “lost to follow up”.

Darshana contacted the patient’s alternate number and ensured that he had approached the nearest health facility in his hometown for his medicine stock, and his treatment is continuing. In the subsequent month, the native health worker informed him that he would require to transfer his medicine stock contact from Mumbai to his native place to get ongoing medication. Darshana pitched in to support Narayan in this ordeal and realized that he wanted to return to Dharavi when travel restrictions are lifted.

She facilitated a teleconference to link the TB Health worker in Dharavi and Narayan’s native Tirunelveli. Our FC overcame the language barrier as the health worker spoke only in Tamil and enabled the conversation between them. This helped the health worker understand Narayan’s concern and supplied him with additional stock of medicines for one month to sustain him until his return to Dharavi.

Narayan was overwhelmed with the support received from Darshana and looks forward to getting back to Dharavi to resume his coconut business, for Mumbai calls him their very own "nariyal pani wala".

When Komal (field coordinator from SHARE INDIA) had interaction with Ms Fatima Khan, 43-year-old house wife residing at Mukund Nagar, Dharavi, she understands that her father-in-law passed away 4 days ago and husband passed away 7 months ago. Patient was staying with 2 children and mother-in-law. There was no earning family member.

During a telephonic interaction, Ms. Khan said that she had excruciating headaches, and felt very depressed. Had it not been for responsibility of two children, she might have committed suicide.

Komal counselled her and told to go to Sewri TB hospital or Sion hospital. Fatima was worried as she had never travelled alone. Komal stayed on the phone, serving as her guide till she reached the hospital. Doctors at Sion hospital treatment Fatima for her headache and other symptoms, and relieved her of her symptoms.

A 21-year-old female TB index patient from Gole Dara, was pursuing nursing studies in Mangalore when she was diagnosed with TB. She had a history of loss of appetite, progressive weight loss, and intermittent cough for 6–8 months prior to diagnosis. After initiation of treatment in Mangalore, she was transferred to Gangtok DTC for continuation of care.

Following transfer, the SoT project team, carried out systematic contact tracing, and identified three close family members with TB infection, all of whom were successfully initiated and completed TB preventive treatment (TPT). During this period, the field coordinator, visited the family and provided counselling, which encouraged them to engage with DTC services.

The patient’s family is economically disadvantaged, with both parents working as farmers and three siblings dependent on them. To provide additional support, a food basket was arranged in consultation with the DTO, Gangtok.

During an Intensified case finding (ICF) camp at an old age home (congregate setting) in the intervention area, a 65-year-old male, Mr. Ravichander (name changed), working as a kitchen helper, was identified as TB infection positive. He was counselled and referred for Tuberculosis Preventive Treatment (TPT). However, in the initial stage, he declined treatment as he had no obvious symptoms.

The field team later counselled him further, emphasizing his increased risk due to chronic smoking and explaining the potential consequences of developing active TB. He was informed about the possibility of transmission to other residents, highlighting that if he developed TB, all 45 elderly residents of the facility could be at risk. This awareness encouraged him to accept TPT.

The patient expressed gratitude to the team, acknowledging that early detection safeguarded his health and protected the vulnerable elderly individuals under his care. He also recognized the importance of early treatment in preventing disease spread.

Under the SoT project, a 22-year-old female, Sharada (name changed), resident of Kalkaji, Delhi, was identified with TB symptoms in May 2025. She was a contact of Seema (name changed), a TB patient identified through routine contact tracing.

During counselling, Seema initially did not mention any contacts. However, in a discussion with her father-in-law, who regularly accompanied her to the health facility, the field coordinators learned about Seema’s sister-in-law, Sharada, who often prepared and served her meals. Sharada lived in the same locality.

The field team visited Sharada’s home and found she had a persistent cough and had previously discontinued medications after temporary relief. Despite initial reluctance, repeated counselling motivated her to undergo investigations. She agreed to a chest X-ray and sputum test, and was confirmed to have pulmonary TB by CBNAAT. She was initiated on treatment within one week in June 2025. Both Seema and Sharada are currently on treatment and adhering to medications regularly.