Approximately 25 to 30 tuberculosis survivors are facing unemployment without prior notice after serving as patient counsellors in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation`s TB department. Officials from the state TB department said this is because the central government has reduced Maharashtra`s TB control funding by 40 per cent, which may lead to several community-oriented initiatives being put on hold.

The TB survivors were referred to as `TB champions` under the programme, which began in November, 2021. Their everyday role included creating support groups and counseling patients and their families.