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Introduction: Tuberculosis is a communicable disease which is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis and mainly affect the lungs. Tuberculosis affects both immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals and is the leading cause of death from a single infectious agent. India is a high burden country for Tuberculosis. India has the target of eliminating Tuberculosis by 2025 under National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP). Aims: To Study the knowledge and awareness of Tuberculosis in tuberculosis patients and to Study the knowledge and awareness of NTEP in tuberculosis patients. Material and Methods: The present study was conducted for evaluating the knowledge of tuberculosis and national tuberculosis elimination program in tuberculosis patients visiting the Pulmonary Medicine Department, Government Medical College, Patiala taking antitubercular treatment, tertiary care hospital of Punjab. Result: Out of 501 patients, 97.01 percent of the patients knew when to stop tuberculosis treatment, 28.74 percent of the tuberculosis patients had satisfactory knowledge and awareness of tuberculosis and only 42.71 percent of the patients were aware of the cardinal symptoms of tuberculosis. Conclusion: Almost one-third of PTB patients had limited understanding of tuberculosis. This underscores the need for RNTCP to reform the current information, education, and communication (IEC) system, which is based on a bio-medical framework, and to build a culturally responsive health education system in order to accomplish TB eradication. Instead, the Program should transition from a passive to an active case seeking method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

World health organization has declared covid-19 as pandemic. Worldwide efforts are being made to increase the awareness about covid-19 in general public and as well as in patients through various health education programs. The study included 500 patients of Tuberculosis both pulmonary and extra-pulmonary who has been started on anti-tubercular treatment, or who came for follow up in Department of Pulmonary medicine, Chest and T.B hospital Patiala during the 6 month period from January 2021 to June 2021. All walk in patients above 15yr of age were included. To assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of the participants, 26 questions (including 14 for knowledge, 5 for attitude, 07 for practice) were included. The questions were directly asked from patients in there vernacular language along with demographic details and response noted. The results of this study will reveal research gaps to guide health experts in decision-making, as well as develop policies and interventions tailored towards bridging the gap and to use that knowledge in decreasing the spread of covid-19 in tuberculosis patients as they are more vulnerable for COVID-19 infection due to decrease in immunity and also to inform future prospects focusing on societal readiness to comply with pandemic control measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]