SATB Launches Addressing The Twin Epidemics: Survivor Led Framework to Integrate Mental Health and TB Care

January 14th, 2025, New Delhi: Survivors Against TB (SATB) is proud to announce the launch of a first of its kind innovative framework “Addressing The Twin Epidemics”, that addresses the critical intersection of Tuberculosis (TB) and mental health.

C-developed with TB affected individuals, multidisciplinary experts, clinicians and health workers, this framework represents a pivotal step in transforming TB care in India and globally by mainstreaming and addressing the critical need to tackle TB and mental health jointly across health systems.

TB affected individuals often face emotional isolation, stigma, and mental health challenges that either go unacknowledged or are dismissed and hence remain untreated. This unique framework brings together lived experiences with clinical and health system expertise to provide a comprehensive and holistic approach to ensure holistic and integrated care for TB-affected individuals.

Recognizing mental health support as an essential component of TB treatment, the framework’s key focus is on how to integrate mental health support in current TB care. It advocates for the inclusion of psychological evaluations in routine TB care and provides practical strategies to equip healthcare providers with the necessary training to address the emotional and mental health needs of those affected.

“The framework is a starting point for advocacy to institutionalize mental health interventions in national TB programs globally, creating a sustainable, long-term impactThis framework is a game-changer,” said Chapal Mehra, Public Health Expert and Convenor, SATB.

“For too long, many like us have struggled with mental health issues in TB care. It has been the missing piece in TB care. By addressing this gap, we are not only improving treatment outcomes but also ensuring that individuals can reclaim their dignity and hope”, says Akshata Acharya, MDR TB Survivor and Author.

Speaking about the initiative, TB survivor and SATB Fellow Deepti Chavan said, “As someone who lived with MDR-TB for six years, I know firsthand the toll it takes on mental health. This framework acknowledges that TB care must go beyond medicines—it’s about empathy, understanding, and support. I wish I had something like this when I was battling TB.”

“With increasing global health complexities, we need approaches that address the bidirectional relationships between diseases and mental health. This framework serves a start in that direction and demonstrates how community knowledge, collaboration, innovation, and empathy can converge to address stigma, and mental health to improve outcomes, and provide dignified care to those most in need,” says Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, Chairperson MSSRF, who has also written the foreword for this framework.

SATB invites policymakers, healthcare providers, and community leaders to join hands in implementing this framework. Together, we can change the narrative of TB care and ensure that no one feels alone on their journey to recovery. Let us make mental health a priority in the fight against TB.

Framework and Executive Summary available on request.