Treatment Support Groups

Treatment Support Groups play an important role in providing treatment support to persons on TB treatment. It has been envisioned as a non-statutory body of socially responsible citizens and volunteers to provide social supports to person on TB treatment. This group goes beyond just providing treatment-related support as it also helps the community in accessing information, free and quality services and linkage to social welfare programmes without compromising confidentiality and respecting the dignity of the person on TB treatment.

A good treatment support group creates a conducive environment for persons on TB treatment to access complete care without experiencing stigma and incurring out-of-pocket expenditures.

Figure: Schematic representation of the concept of treatment support groups.

Treatment Support Group (TSG): Example from Kerala

The initiative in the Pathanamthitta district of Kerala demonstrated that treatment support groups helped in minimising the loss-to-follow-up cases and better treatment outcomes. The group supported the persons on TB treatment in accessing information, free and quality services and social welfare programmes, thereby empowering the persons on TB treatment to complete the treatment successfully.

Resources

National Strategic Plan for Tuberculosis Elimination 2017–2025, RNTCP, 2017.

Guidance Document for the Peoples’ Movement Against Tuberculosis in Kerala, Kerala TB Elimination Mission, 2017.

Assessment