"Its' Personal Matter" – To Disclose Tb Status at Workplace; Evidence From Qualitative Research, Punjab India

Historically, Tuberculosis disease is terrorized and stigmatized, and disease is associated with poverty lack of hygiene, marginalization and squalor. India is one of high-burden countries, and has implemented strategic plans to engage all healthcare providers – public and private. Private providers are first-choice for patients and were to be engaged strategically through a interface agency - Patient Provider Support Agency. PPSA has a close coordination and interaction with TB patients in private sector and this population could be interviewed to understand whether there is a change in overall thought process of “self-declaring” of TB at workplace. A total of 69 patients informed to have government job, local business and private job. Among them 27 (53.6%) had Extra Pulmonary TB (EPTB) and 32 (46.6%) had pulmonary TB. About 78% patient informed to have previous episode of TB. All patient (100%) informed about the disease to their family members; however, none informed to their colleagues about the disease. When asked about “non-disclose”, 62% of patient informed as this was their “personal matter” and ~ 12% believed that no need to disclose or not disclosed. The governments NTEP is addressing TB at workplace through a national multisectoral action framework for a TB Free India. TB- stigma is a complex community and institutional mechanism, one could look at having TB champions to talk about their experience of stigma and how they overcome the same.