Acknowledgement

The Guidelines and norms for STDCs in NTEP (2023) is developed by Central TB Division (CTD) and National Training Institute (NTI), Bengaluru, as an to update the earlier version published in 2003. This document is an end product of a series of consultations and meetings of the working committee held under the chairmanship of Director NTI. The working committee is composed of technical experts from National Institutes viz. National Tuberculosis Institute (NTI), National Institute of TB and Respiratory Diseases (NITRD), National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis (NIRT), development partners including The Union, World Health Organization (WHO), State Technical Experts including State TB Officers, STDC Directors, and Community representatives working in NTEP. 

A consultative workshop was held at NTI Bengalore in presence of Central and State TB Officials in April 2022 to discuss on the felt need of updating the guiding document for functioning of State TB Training and demonstration centres (STDCs). An expert committee was formulated to deliberate on the recommendations and update the guiding document. Several meetings were organized physically and virtually in 2022 till 2023 by the Central TB Division with technical and organizational support from National Institutes, The Union and WHO teams. The updated document, is built on the findings and recommendations of the STDC Baseline Assessment findings conducted by the USAID supported, The Union led iDEFEAT TB Project in collaboration with IQVIA. 

Our deepest gratitude to Ms. Roli Singh, Additional Secretary & Mission Director, National Health Mission (NHM), MoHFW, GoI, Dr. P Ashok Babu, JS (RCH & TB), Dr. Vineet Kumar Chadha (Advisor-NTEP) and Dr. K S Sachdeva, Regional Director (The Union) for the overall policy guidance and framework. The working on entire document was well supported and guided throughout by Dr. Rajendra P. Joshi-DDG (TB), GOI. 

Our sincere thanks to Chair-Dr.N.Somashekar (Director-NTI) for his leadership and spearheading this initiative, Dr. Alok Mathur (ADDG-TB) for his constant support, Dr.Raghuram Rao (ADG-TB), Dr.Nishant Kumar (Joint Director- Public Health), Dr.Sanjay Kumar Mattoo (ADDG-TB) for their valuable inputs and Dr. Ravinder Kumar (TB Specialist-CTD) for his impeccable support throughout the entire process of updating the STDC guidelines. 

We would also like to extend gratitude to Dr. Reuben Swamickan (Division Chief - Tuberculosis and Infectious Diseases- USAID India), Dr. Umesh Alavadi (Senior Health Advisor - Tuberculosis and Infectious Diseases, USAID India) for their expert guidance and support to this initiative. We would also like to thank Dr. Ranjani Ramchandran (NPO-WHO), Dr. Malik Parmar (NPO-WHO), Dr. Kirankumar Rade (NPO-WHO) and Dr. Jyoti Jaju (Project Director-iDefeat TB Project, The Union) for overall support.

The Central Tuberculosis Division acknowledges the support of the technical experts involved at different stages of development of this guideline. We appreciate the contributions of all individuals who deliberated based on 2003 guidelines and findings of STDC baseline assessment (2022) and guided the way forward for updating the document (refer list of contributions below), including present and former CTD colleagues and colleagues from various other departments. We are thankful to the committee members who participated in incorporating of recommendations put forward during follow up meetings at NTI, Bangalore and compilation of chapters including Dr. Ravichandra (NTI Bangalore), Dr. Uma Shankar(NTI Bangalore), Dr. KK Chopra (Director STDC, Delhi), Dr. Gopal Beri (STO, Himachal Pradesh), Dr. Neeta Singla(NITRD Delhi), Dr. Niti Singh(NITRD Delhi), Dr. Mamata HG (NTI, Bangalore), Dr. Rakesh PS (The Union), Dr. Manu E Mathew (The Union), Dr. Sanjay Suryavanshi (National Consultant-CTD, WHO), Dr. Heena Goyal (National Consultant-CTD, The Union), Dr. Ranjeet Prasad (National Consultant-CTD, The Union).

Our deepest gratitude to Dr. N Somashekhar, Director- NTI, Bengaluru, without whose support it would not have been possible to review the content and update the document. Towards the end, our heartfelt thanks to external members who could provide their valuable time to review the guidelines and share inputs for improvisation, including National Professional Officers from the WHO India and colleagues from non-government organizations and The Union South East Asia.

 

List of contributors

Dr. Somashekar N (Director, NTI Bangalore), Dr.Alok Mathur (Addl DDG-TB, CTD), Dr.RaghuramRao (ADG-TB, CTD), Dr.Nishant Kumar (Joint Director-Public Health,CTD), Dr. Sanjay Mattoo (Addl DDG-TB, CTD), Dr.Ravinder Kumar (Specialist-TB, CTD), Dr. Neeta Singla (NITRD), Dr. Tanmaya Talukdar (Professor & Head, LHMC, New Delhi), Dr. C.Ravi Chandra (Director-Training, NTI Bangalore), Dr. Ranjani Ramchandran (NPO-WHO), Dr. Malik Parmar (NPO-WHO), Dr. Kirankumar Rade (NPO-WHO), Dr. S.K Tripathi (NTI, Bangalore), Dr. S. Uma Shankar (NTI, Bangalore), Dr. Reena (Microbiologist, NTI), Dr. Niti Singh (Consultant Microbiologist, NITRD), Dr. Seenivasan Prabhu (Consultant Microbiologist, NIRT Chennai), Dr.Sriram (Scientist D, NIRT Chennai), Dr. Radhakrishnan (Consultant Microbiologist, NIRT Chennai), Mr.Avijit H Choudhury (WHO Country office for India), Dr.Shibu Balakrishnan (RTL- WHO), Dr. Debadutta Parija (RTL- WHO), Dr. Kshitij Khaparde (RTL- WHO), Dr.D. Deka (RTL- WHO), Dr. ShivaniChandra (RTL- WHO), Dr. Sunil Kumar.M (STO- Kerala), Dr.K.K.Chopra (Director-STDC, NDTBC), Dr. Md. Hanif (NDTBC), Dr. Anindya Mitra (Director-STDC, Jharkhand), Dr.A. Rajesham (Director STDC, Telangana), Dr.Varsha Rai (Director STDC, MP), Dr.P.R.Agarwal (Director STDC, Rajasthan), Dr.Sandeep Lavania (Director STDC, UP), Dr.Gopal Beri (Director STDC, HP), Dr.B.P. Panda (Director STDC,Odisha), Dr.N.D.Deshmukh (Director STDC, Pune), Dr. Pankaj Nimawat (Add Director, STDC Gujarat), Dr. Nirmala (Microbiologist- STDC KA), Dr. Neelam (STDC Bhopal), Dr.Saumya Dhawan (Microbiologist, IRL Bhopal), Dr. Tarun Patni (Microbiologist, IRL Ajmer), Dr. Bandana Choudhary (IRL Guwahati), Dr S. Anand (National Consultant for TB laboratories, WHO), Dr. Manu Mathew (The UNION), Dr. Rakesh PS (The UNION), Dr. R. Lakshmi (WHO- National Consultant), Dr. Shazia Anjum (WHO SHQ, Karnataka), Dr. Sanjay Suryawanshi (WHO Consultant -Institutional Strengthening), Dr. Heena (NC-STDC Strengthening, The UNION), Dr. Sivavallinathan Arunachalam (WHO consultant), Dr. Viral (National Consultant, The Union), Dr. Dheeraj Tumu (WHO Consultant), Ms. Sophia Khumukcham  (WHO Consultant), Dr. Ranjeet Prasad (National Consultant, The UNION), Ms. Richa Bharti (Technical Officer-ACSM, CTD), Mr. LR Sharma (State IEC Officer-HP),Dr.ParanjoyBordoloi (State IEC Officer-Assam), Ms. Himani Verma (Chattisgarh- TB Champion) and Adurrahman Urf Shahazad Ahmad,UP-TB Champion.