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Awareness Amongst School Teachers about Tuberculosis

Schools can play a pivotal role in tuberculosis control in India. Schools have a widespread presence and have been playing an active role in generating public awareness about many National Health Programmes like polio eradication. The Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP), which is implementing Directly Observed Treatment, Short-course (DOTS) in India envisages an active role by school teachers, especially in supervising treatment.. RNTCP can also benefit by involving both schoolteachers and students. A large number of schools in India are housed in small and ill-ventilated buildings and students spend most of their school time in cramped situations. This can facilitate the spread of tuberculosis from one child to another.

Health and Development Initiative-India carried out a survey amongst 45 schools teachers drawn from Punjab, Uttranchal, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Himachal Pradesh. These teachers had assembled in Amritsar for an in-service course. All these teachers had completed graduate level studies.

The objective of the survey was to assess the awareness about tuberculosis amongst schoolteachers.

The following responses were obtained: All results are in % age

How does Tuberculosis spread from one person to another?

All results are in % age
Through sharing food with a TB patients	13
Through close contact with a TB patient	16
Through virus/bacteria	18
Through coughing and spitting	18
Through air	13
Through fomites	16
Do not know	22

Name one common symptom of Tuberculosis

All results are in % age
Cough	64
Fever	47
Pain Chest	8.9
Cough with blood in sputum	13
Nodes in neck	4.4
Weakness	16
Loss of appetite	2.2
Blood in vomitus	6.7
Difficulty in respiration	6.7
Do not know	4.4

Do you believe that Tuberculosis is curable?

All results are in % age
Yes	100

What will you do if you find out that a student in your class
may be suffering from Tuberculosis?

All results are in % age
Make the child sit separately in class	9
Arrange medical check-up through school	13
Advise the parents to get their child examined	67
Maintain a distance from the child	2
Grant him leave from school till cured	4.5
Do not know	9
Will not allow in class without treatment	2
Sympathise with the child	2

Do you think that schools have a role to play in Tuberculosis control?

All results are in % age
Yes	96
No	4

Suggest two activities, which schools can undertake to participate in Tuberculosis control efforts

All results are in % age
Educate children about tuberculosis and methods of prevention	56
Arrange regular health checkup of students in school	18
Keep the school clean	11
Participate in creating social awareness	2.2
Extend financial help to students for taking treatment	2.2

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