Operation ASHA is a non-government organization (NGO) based out of Delhi, India and Chicago, USA that aims to eradicate tuberculosis worldwide. We treat tuberculosis (TB) amongst more than two million individuals, most of which live in the slum areas of India.

With modern medicine, TB is a very treatable disease, unlike so many others. Thus, the number of individuals infected and dying from the disease should be decreasing. Instead, the number of people infected with TB increases every day and every minute a person in India dies of this disease. India is home to more than a quarter of the world’s TB population.

We at OpASHA have taken TB treatment to the doorsteps of the underserved and impoverished. By placing treatment centers within the communities where our patients live, the detection rate has increased substantially and the dreaded dropout rate is down by 20-30fold. Our method has flourished and continues to produce excellent results. Experts have found our work “truly remarkable” (1) and “fascinating” (2).

Not only have our results been impressive, but the cost of treating a patient is ONLY $25, as compared to the nearly $300 spent by comparable organizations. As pioneers of community-based TB treatment, we have joined forces with MIT to conduct social research and Microsoft to utilize groundbreaking Biometrics technology.

OpASHA is expanding rapidly. We plan to serve a population of 70 million by 2013 and extend our work internationally. We are actively seeking funding and partnerships. Every year, we host interns from around the world, who contribute to research and office operations. OpASHA represents NGOs of developing countries on the Board of the Stop TB Partnership, which is a subsidiary of the World Health Organization (WHO).