Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program

Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program (RNTCP) is the state-run tuberculosis (TB) control initiative of the Government of India. As per the National Strategic Plan 2012–17, the program has a vision of achieving a 'TB free India', and aims to achieve Universal Access to TB control services. The program provides, various free of cost, quality tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment services across the country through the government health system. It seeks to employ the WHO recommended tuberculosis control strategy, DOTS(Directly Observed Treatment, Short Course), to the Indian scenario. India has had an ongoing National TB Program (NTP) since 1962. At that time, the Indian government lacked the financial backing to meet its public health goals. Therefore, external sources of funding and administration, often from the WHO and UN, became common in the realm of public health. In 1992, the WHO and Swedish International Development Agency evaluated the NTP, finding that it lacked funding, information on health outcomes, consistency across management and treatment regimens, and efficient diagnostic techniques. In order to overcome these lacunae, the Government decided to give a new thrust to TB control activities by revitalising the NTP, with assistance from international agencies, in 1993. Given TB's high curability rate 6-12 months after diagnosis, moving toward a clinical and treatment-based strategy was a sensible progression from the NTP. The Revised National TB Control Programme (RNTCP) thus formulated, adopted the internationally recommended Directly Observed Treatment Short-course (DOTS) strategy, as the most systematic and cost-effective approach to revitalise the TB control programme in India. DOTS was adopted as a strategy for provision of treatment to increase the treatment completion rates. Political and administrative commitment were some of its core strategies, to ensure the provision of organised and comprehensive TB control services was obtained. Adoption of smear microscopy for reliable and early diagnosis was introduced in a decentralized manner in the general health services. Supply of drugs was also strengthened to provide assured supply of drugs to meet the requirements of the system. Large-scale implementation of the RNTCP began in late 1998.