Working with religious leaders in India’s Muslim community, The Union’s Project Axshya has reached local religious schools, called madrasas, in 15 districts in two states with crucial TB information, including recognising symptoms, and accessing free treatment and diagnostic services.
Muslims make up India’s largest religious minority - comprising 14.6% of the population (172 million people) - and they suffer from TB and other health issues at much higher rates than other minority groups in India. By working with trusted members of the community to deliver health information, The Union has provided 17,000 students and teachers of the madrasas with information on TB, and some 300 sputum samples have been collected or patients referred to the nearest diagnostic centres.
“Data shows that rates of TB infection are much higher amongst Muslims. These communities have strong faith in their religious leaders. This collaboration with Project Axshya focuses our intervention efforts on the Muslim community by transferring information through trusted channels”, says Dr KN Sahai, head of the state TB cell, Government of Bihar.
“I had very little knowledge of TB before attending this session”, said Haji Asfaq, a resident of Masjid Chowk in the state of India. “The TB orientation session at our madrasa provided information on symptoms, diagnostics and treatment, and most importantly, I learned that free treatment services are available at government health centres throughout my region.”
The leaders in the madrasas endorse the national TB programmes in several ways, by passing along information about TB following Friday prayers, providing educational materials to members of the community and conducting information sessions at mosques. So far, Project Axshya has worked with madrasas in six districts in Uttar Pradesh and nine districts in Bihar, which hopes to expand if success rates continue.
Project Axshya is an innovative civil society initiative designed to improve access to TB diagnosis and treatment in India. It is implemented by The Union South East Asia Office under a grant from the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.