The Tuberculosis Association of India (TAI) has been serving the cause of tuberculosis since 1939. It is one of the oldest and largest voluntary organizations having its affiliates all over the country. It was set up in February, 1939 as a registered society by incorporating the King Emperor's Anti-Tuberculosis Fund and King George Thanks-giving (Anti-Tuberculosis) Fund. Her Excellency the Marchioness of Linlithgow was the first President of the Association when the Tuberculosis Association of India was established on February 23, 1939.

Its aims and objectives are:

• The prevention, control, treatment and relief of tuberculosis.
• The encouragement of and assistance in the establishment throughout India of State Associations having objectives similar in whole or in part to those of the Association.
• The affiliation or control of and the rendering of assistance to any institution having objectives similar in whole or in part to the objects of the Association.
• The undertaking of the Research and Investigation on subjects concerning tuberculosis and allied chest diseases.
• The doing of all such things as are incidental or conducive to the attainment of the above objectives.

Its members are the State Affiliates who nominate their representatives to its Annual General Meeting and Central Committee.

FOUNDER MEMBERS

HER EXCELLENCY THE MARCHIONESS OF LINLITHGOW (President) (ex-officio)
The Viceroy’s House, New Delhi

MAJOR-GENERAL E.W.C. BRADFIELD, CIE, OBE, KHS, IMS
Director-General (Ex-officio)

COLONEL SIR A.J.H. RUSSELL, CBE, KHS, IMS
Public Health Commissioner (ex-Officio)

U.N.SEN, Esq., CBE,
The Indian Red Cross Society

Mr. A.C. BADENOCH, CST, CIE, ICS,
Honorary Treasurer of the Association (ex-officio)

Activities of the Tuberculosis Association of India

The present major activities of the TAI are:

• Publication of the prestigious Indian Journal of Tuberculosis quarterly being uninterruptedly published since 1953. It’s the only journal in India devoted exclusively to the cause of tuberculosis and chest diseases.
• Organization of the National Conference on Tuberculosis and Chest Diseases (NATCON). Since the year 1939 the Association is organizing an annual conference wherein around 500 delegates from all over India assemble and exchange views, research papers and attend seminars on tuberculosis and diseases allied to it. NATCON is organised in collaboration with one or other of the State affiliates of the Association.
• TB Seal Campaign is organised every year. The Hon’ble President of India who is also the Patron of the Association generally inaugurates the Campaign on 2nd October, the Gandhi Jayanti Day at Rashtrapati Bhawan. The TB Seals Campaign conveys the message that TB is preventable. It also helps to raise funds for promoting voluntary anti-TB work in the country and provides opportunity to every citizen to contribute to the fight against this anti-human disease. The campaign is being organised since 1950.
• Providing quality diagnostic and treatment services through its New Delhi TB Centre.

Complementing supplementing Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program (RNTCP), (Directly Observed Treatment Short Course) DOTS services of Government of India (GOI). No new units are to be established to avoid costs and duplication

Fund raising for the foregoing activities:

• TAI does not receive any Government grants for its activities. A TB Seal Campaign which is inaugurated every year on 2nd October by the President of India who is the Patron of TAI. A TB Seal costs 2 rupees and carries a message about tuberculosis.

• Technical education by way of holding national and state level conferences which serve the scientific purpose of updating knowledge of tuberculosis