TB Free Schools Initiative Welcomes Steering Committee Members to Drive National Impact
The TB Free Schools Initiative (TFSI) is a flagship program implemented by the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Center for Infectious Diseases in India and the Gupta-Klinsky India Institute. The initiative leverages cutting-edge AI-enabled X-ray image reading, molecular diagnostics, and short-course preventive treatment tools to improve TB education, screening, treatment, and preventive therapy in school-based settings.
In collaboration with the Government of India, TFSI will engage key national stakeholders, including the Central TB Division (CTD), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), and state health and education departments across various project sites.
New Steering Committee to Guide TB-Free Schools Initiative
A key milestone for the program is the recent constitution of the TFSI Project Steering Committee to guide its efforts in addressing tuberculosis in school settings across India. The committee is chaired by Dr. Urvashi Singh, Deputy Director General, Central TB Division, with Dr. Manoj Murhekar, Director, National Institute of Epidemiology, ICMR, Chennai, serving as co-chair. Blessina Kumar, CEO of the Global Coalition of TB Advocates, joins as a key member, bringing a strong community advocacy perspective. This leadership team will oversee strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, and implementation efforts to ensure a sustainable impact in TB prevention and care for school going children across the project geographies.
Dr. Urvashi Singh, Deputy Director General, Central TB Division
Dr. Singh is an astute researcher and has dedicated almost three decades of service towards tuberculosis research in India. Her expertise and applied clinical research in the field of MDR, XDR-TB, TB treatment failure, epidemiology, diagnostics, novel biomarkers and drug regimens, has direct policy relevance. She has contributed to the National TB Elimination program at the Policy Decision level and as a member of several National Expert Committees with ICMR, Department of Biotechnology, Department of Science and Technology and WHO.
Dr. Manoj Murhekar, Director, National Institute of Epidemiology, ICMR, Chennai
Dr. Murhekar heads the epidemiology division at the National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE), ICMR, India. During his 12 years tenure at NIE, he conducted several field-based studies on vaccine-preventable diseases including diphtheria, measles, Japanese encephalitis, and Kyasanur Forest Disease. Dr Murhekar is the recipient of the Major General Saheb Singh Sokhey Award of the Indian Council of Medical Research for his outstanding epidemiological studies among the tribal population of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Dr Murhekar is the core faculty for the epidemiology, disease surveillance and outbreak investigation modules for the master’s in public health (MPH) program of the ICMR School of Public Health
Blessina Kumar, CEO, Global Coalition of TB Advocates
Blessina Kumar is a health activist and a public health professional with over 30 years of experience working with diverse communities across India and the Sudan. Blessina has developed gender policies for many organizations and was instrumental in pushing the global TB community to look at TB with a gender lens. She continues to serve on many committees globally, contributing richly, raising the voices of the unheard and pushing for a seat at decision-making tables.
With strong leadership from the Central TB Division and a dedicated steering committee, TFSI is poised to make a significant impact in addressing the burden of TB among school-aged children in India. The program’s unique mobile service delivery model and integration of AI-driven diagnostics have the potential to revolutionize TB detection and prevention efforts in school settings.