Kochon Prize 2026:
Resource group for Education and Advocacy for Community Health (REACH), a not-for-profit organisation working to strengthen the tuberculosis (TB) response in India, has been awarded the Kochon Prize 2026.
- Kochon Prize was established in 2006.
- It is presented by the Kochon Foundation, an independent Korean non-profit foundation, in partnership with the Stop TB Partnership.
- It recognises individuals and organisations that have made significant contributions to the fight against TB.
- It consists of cash prize of US$ 65,000.
- Previous winners from India include S. Chauhan (2006), head of the Revised National TB Control Programme, the Indian Council of Medical Research (2017) and Molbio Diagnostics (2024).
Tuberculosis:
- Tuberculosis (TB) is a bacterial infection caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which primarily affects the lungs but can also impact other body parts such as the abdomen, glands, bones, and nervous system.
- Transmission: It spreads through airborne transmission, mainly inhaling tiny droplets released from the coughs or sneezes of an infected person.
- Treatment & Prevention
- BCG Vaccine: The Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine provides moderate protection, mainly for severe TB in infants and children.
