The Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at the National Institute of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases (NITRD) plays a pivotal role in advancing tuberculosis (TB) control and public health research in India. The Department has a dual mandate — epidemiological research and implementation of outreach services — for TB diagnosis, treatment, and prevention, catering to a population of over one million in the southern districts of Delhi.

The Department operates through a robust network comprising 10 Diagnostic/DOT Centres, two medical colleges (NITRD and Safdarjung Hospital), and two referral centres, ensuring comprehensive and patient-centric TB care, managing over 15,000 TB notifications annually. It also houses both the District DR-TB Centre and the Nodal DR-TB Centre, collectively serving a population of approximately 3.5 million.

The Department is centre of excellence in both programmatic implementation and capacity building. Key activities of the Department include:

• Implementing the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP) in the defined geographical area, in collaboration with the State TB Office, Delhi.
• Coordinating with the Department of TB & Respiratory Diseases for seamless diagnosis and treatment under NTEP.
• Conducting regular training programs for medical officers, MOTCs, DTOs, and STOs from across the country.
• Delivering structured teaching sessions for nursing staff, postgraduate students, and trainees from within and outside the Institute.
• Organizing workshops and collaborative initiatives involving NGOs and private practitioners to strengthen TB control efforts.
• Developing teaching modules for nurses under Programmatic Management of Drug-Resistant TB (PMDT).
• Undertaking epidemiological and operational research, with numerous publications in reputed national and international journals.
• Actively contributing to scientific conferences and expert consultations at both national and international levels.