Government of Tamil Nadu. honors 319 villages for becoming TB free in Vellore, nearby districts

Tiruvannamalai Collector Vandhan Garg presents an award to a TB Free Villages initiative volunteer at a collectorate in Tiruvannamalai on Thursday. | Photo credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

The Health Department on Thursday felicitated village elders, volunteers including NCC cadets and health workers in 319 panchayats in Vellore, Tiruvannamalai, Ranipet and Tirupattur districts for becoming “Tuberculosis (TB) free villages” by 2025.

Health officials said that achieving TB-free village status is part of the implementation of the National TB Elimination Program (NTEP) by the Union Ministry of Health and Welfare. Identification of TB-free villages is done after the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The study found that high population density remains the main reason for the spread of TB in the district as the infection can spread much faster in densely populated areas. Migration from big cities is another reason for its spread, especially in tribal areas like Jawadhu Hills, which have been less affected by TB,” said P. Ashok, Deputy Director of Health Services (DDHS), TB (Tiruvannamalai).

Out of 319 villages, Tiruvannamalai has the most (157), followed by Vellore and Ranipet (57 villages each) and Tirupattur (48). In 2024, only 30 TB-free villages were identified in Tiruvannamalai. In the same year (2024), Vellore, Ranipet and Tirupattur districts together had 111 such villages.

Health officials said they identify high-risk villages based on case studies conducted over the past five to 10 years in the region. A four-member medical team led by a senior TB treatment manager conducts door-to-door inspections in designated villages as part of infection surveillance. Subsequently, Drug Susceptibility Testing (DST) for susceptible and resistant strains of TB infection is performed on samples collected in the identified villages before declaring the village TB-free.

On average, one TB case for every 1,000 persons in a village is classified as a TB-free village. Health officials said the field survey is conducted every year from June to September, before the onset of the northeast monsoon.

Currently, Tiruvannamalai has the highest number of TB patients (3,000) under six-month treatment, followed by Vellore (1,800 patients), Ranipet (520 patients) and Tirupattur (500 patients).

Health officials said tipplers, smokers, diabetics and those previously infected are classified as most susceptible to TB infection due to low immunity. Due to the inhalation of dangerous dust particles, workers in stone quarries and crushing units are also a vulnerable group.

Health officials said the increasing number of TB-free villages under the initiative reflects the state’s ongoing efforts to eliminate tuberculosis through sustained public health measures, active surveillance and community participation.

Published – 9 Oct 2026 0:31 AM IST