BreatheSafe360- Initiative to improve lung health of industrial workers exposed to dust
An Integrated Service Delivery Model of TB and Chronic Respiratory Diseases such as Asthma and COPD:
Thematic Area: An Industrial and Community Led Initiative
This project is supported by the Stop TB Partnership, hosted by United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), under the TB REACH Wave 11 grant. It is being implemented across three districts in the state of Andhra Pradesh over a period of 24 months, ending in Sep 2026.
The project specifically targets industrial workers engaged in stone crushing, cutting, and polishing industries and surrounded communities—populations that are at heightened risk of respiratory illnesses due to prolonged exposure to dust and occupational hazards.
Key Strategy: The project adopts an innovative, integrated approach by delivering community- and industry-based doorstep health services focused on early detection and management of respiratory conditions, including Asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, and Tuberculosis.
Core components include:
- Deployment of AI-enabled chest X-ray machines for rapid screening and early detection of TB and other chest abnormalities.
- Use of mobile handheld spirometers for lung function assessment
- Implementation of an Integrated Service Delivery (ISD) model to ensure seamless linkage from screening to diagnosis, treatment initiation, and continuity of care taking the support from trained Peer Educators, frontline health care workers and government health facilities.
This approach aims to improve access, reduce diagnostic delays, and enhance treatment outcomes among high-risk industrial workers and people from the surrounded villages.
- Objectives
- Approach
- Activities
- Expected outcome
- Strengthen the community response to TB
- Improve the access of the TB affected communities to TB services such as diagnosis and treatment at the government facilities and contribute to improved health.
- Build the overall knowledge of the TB affected communities and general communities about general health education, personal hygiene, importance of sanitation and nutritious food.
- Raise awareness of the TB affected communities on government schemes such as Old Age Pension (OAP), Widow Pension and Disability Pension.
- Reduce the stigma and discrimination faced by the TB affected PLHAs.
CEPT adopted an approach of organizing the TB affected communities into Rainbow TB Association (RTBF) and building their capacities. Moreover, activities such as distributing IEC material and conducting Behaviour Change Communication were also adopted under the project.
- Bringing the TB Patients and other groups under the umbrella of TB Forums
- Distributing IEC material in the target groups for creating awareness
- Conducting health education activities to reach wider population
- Linking the identified patients to the TB units for notification, referral and treatment
- Raised awareness about TB services among the marginalised communities with special reference to women, children and PLHAs
- Increased knowledge about general health education, personal hygiene, importance of sanitation and nutritious food in the targeted communities and general population.
- Improved access of the PLHAs to the government facilities offering TB services such as diagnosis and treatment resulting into improved health
- Increase in the number of people with TB symptoms accessing designated TB diagnostic facilities for initial sputum test
- Decrease in stigma and discrimination towards the PLHAs affected by TB
