The #HealthForAll campaign emphasizes the importance of providing inclusive healthcare services to underserved communities, with a positive example from Meghalaya, India.

A free health camp was organized in the Thadlaskein block of Meghalaya's West Jaintia Hills district, providing cutting-edge screening and diagnostic equipment, medical experts, medications, counseling, government-backed health insurance, and essential support services to the local population.

"Thadlaskein block has poor access to health services for people living in hard-to-reach areas. This block also has the lowest vaccine or immunization coverage, and maximum number of children aged 2-5 years that have not been immunized with measles Rubella vaccine 1 or 2. It is important to note that all the people who have been mobilized by the Block Development Office and self-help groups are able to get a wide range of healthcare services at one place on the same day," said Dr Helen J Uriah, Maternal and Child Health Officer, West Jaintia Hills District.

Multiple government agencies and collaborating partners joined forces to orchestrate this camp, where nearly a thousand individuals were able to undergo same-day testing and treatment for a variety of health conditions. This initiative also encompassed health education, counseling, and a seamless continuum of care.

The inaugural health camp in Meghalaya has enabled rapid molecular diagnosis of various diseases using RT-PCR technology, with immediate linkage to treatment and care, thanks to government-run programs.

"It is for the first time in India that for a free comprehensive health camp, all the vertical healthcare programmes have converged together on a single point of access. Vaccination for children and adults, medical consultation, routine screening and highly-specific diagnostic tests for multiple diseases, linkage to treatment and care, medicines, counselling, and a wide range of other healthcare facilities are being provided together - and closer to the underserved communities," added Shiva Sriram, Vice President of Molbio Diagnostics (makers of WHO recommended Truenat).

The health camp introduced various diagnostic technologies, including the Truenat system, MobMon, Prognosys' ultra-portable x-ray machine, and Niramai's Thermolytix, a point-of-care breast cancer screening tool, in addition to the Truenat system, to the community.

Upon arrival at the camp, individuals underwent initial triage at the registration desk, followed by a secondary triage process. Free medical consultations were offered by specialists in various fields, including obstetrics, pediatrics, internal medicine, and ENT. Attendees received screenings and diagnostic tests for various health conditions, including TB, cervical cancer, breast cancer, malaria, dengue, chikungunya, HIV, influenza, respiratory ailments, and scrub typhus.

Individuals diagnosed with various conditions were connected to government programs under the National Health Mission (NHM), covering areas like TB, HIV, maternal and child health, and more. On-site medication was distributed for specific diseases, and counseling was provided on nutrition, adolescent health, STDs, TB, HIV, malaria, breast and cervical cancers, and related concerns.

The State AIDS Control Society of Meghalaya facilitated this effort by deploying a specialized van known as the "Integrated Counselling and Testing Centre (ICTC) van." This mobile unit was equipped with dual testing kits for HIV and Syphilis screening, provided information on HIV prevention, conducted counseling to encourage testing, and assisted those who tested positive in accessing treatment, care, and support systems.

"It is for the first time that multiple sectors are coming together to organize a free comprehensive healthcare camp. From government agencies, research institutions, university, private sector, non-governmental organisations, financial institutions, among others, have joined hands to make multi-stakeholder collaboration a reality. This is extremely essential and should be adapted and replicated across the country to reach as many people as possible, and take healthcare closer to the patients," added Shiva Sriram.

This versatile health camp exemplifies the significance of collaborative efforts among various agencies in the community, working together from the ground up to deliver integrated healthcare services to the most underserved populations in Meghalaya. The coalition of partners involved in this initiative encompassed institutions such as the North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS), the Department of Health and Family Welfare, the District Medical and Health Office, the West Jaintia Hills district administration, the Thadlaskein Block Officer, and the Meghalaya State Rural Livelihoods Society (MSRLS).

Additionally, community groups, international NGOs like the Rotary Club of Jowai, Johns Hopkins Program for International Education in Gynecology and Obstetrics (JHPIEGO), North East Slow Food and Agrobiodiversity Society (NESFAS), local NGOs such as Grassroots - Shillong and the Voluntary Health Association of Meghalaya (VHAM), and Molbio Diagnostics also played pivotal roles in this collaborative effort.

Throughout the day, there were ongoing public education and awareness sessions covering various health topics, including the Intensified Mission Indhradhanush (IMI 5.0) children's immunization initiative, Tuberculosis (TB), HIV, and other pertinent health issues.

"The aim of this health camp was to promote early screening, detection and linkage to treatment and care for a range of diseases; and raise people's health literacy thereby improving health of the community. It was also to develop long term health seeking behavior of the population. Investing in free health camps helps accomplish an optimal level of healthcare with individuals, communities and all the institutions working together in coordination," said Dr. Darivianca E Laloo, General Manager of Molbio Diagnostics.

Frightening HIV and TB Rates in Meghalaya

Meghalaya has a higher HIV incidence rate (0.42%) than the national average (0.21%), according to the Sankalp 2022 report from the Indian Ministry of Health's National AIDS Control Organisation. Despite a decrease in new HIV infections and AIDS-related mortality from 2021 to 2010, Meghalaya has seen both new infections and deaths increase. The state also has the third-highest HIV prevalence among pregnant women (0.58%) and the highest Syphilis seropositivity rate (0.77%), surpassing the national average.

In 2022, Meghalaya reported 4,989 new TB patients, with 5% of them having drug-resistant TB, and 71.4% having TB of the lungs. Over 92% of those diagnosed with TB received anti-TB treatment, leading to an impressive 84.8% TB treatment success rate in 2021.

Meghalaya has 55 Truenat molecular test machines for TB testing, conducting 29,086 tests in 2022. 1,829 people were diagnosed with TB, with 124 having rifampicin-resistant TB. In 2022, 244 individuals were screened for extrapulmonary TB, revealing 12 active cases, according to the India TB Report 2023.