Commemoration of World TB Day 2026 at ICMR-NIRT 24th March 2026
World Tuberculosis Day 2026 was commemorated at ICMR–National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis (ICMR–NIRT), Chennai, on 24th March 2026, with academic pomp and scientific splendour, aligned with the theme, “Yes! We can END TB: Led by countries, Powered by people.”
The forenoon session was organized by the nursing staff of ICMR–NIRT, led by Smt. Gunasundari, Nursing Superintendent, for M.Sc. Nursing students of Madras Medical College, highlighting the crucial role of nurses and health visitors in contributing to NIRT’s legacy and the unified fight towards TB elimination. The lectures covered key aspects of the National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP). Dr. Srinath Satyanarayana, Director, emphasized the need for TB prevention and reducing TB incidence; Dr. Narendran Gopalan, Scientist-F, elaborated on the challenges in treatment adherence; Dr. Banu Rekha, Scientist-F, spoke on the essentiality of research in TB; and Dr. Bhavani, Scientist-E, presented recent advancements in TB diagnostics and treatment.
The afternoon scientific session began with an invocation by Dr. Souparnika (Scientist-C), followed by a welcome address by Dr. Narendran Gopalan and opening remarks by the Director. Scientific deliberations included an insightful talk on the historical perspectives of tuberculosis by Prof. Vinod Kumar Viswanathan (Director, Institute of Thoracic Medicine, Madras Medical College); a patient-resilience lecture on ordinary people with extraordinary achievements by Sr. Mary Josephinal Francis (Director, Sacred Heart Community - SSHJ), emphasizing community empowerment; a session on emerging molecular diagnostic technologies by Dr. Narayanan Madaboosi Srinivasan (Core Faculty, Department of Medical Sciences and Technology, IIT Madras); and a presentation on the application of cough-based acoustic artificial intelligence in TB detection by Dr. Narayana Rao Sripada (Founder & CTO, Salcit Technologies Pvt. Ltd.). The programme concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr. Luke Elizabeth Hanna (Scientist ‘F’).
Overall, the event provided a valuable knowledge-sharing platform, reinforcing the need for a unified and collaborative effort, and reaffirming ICMR–NIRT’s commitment to advancing TB research and supporting national efforts towards achieving a “TB-Mukt Bharat.”
