Indian Organisation REACH Receives Kochon Prize 2026 for Fight Against TB

The 'Resource Group for Education and Advocacy for Community Health' (REACH), a non-profit organisation working to strengthen the response to tuberculosis (TB) in India, has been honoured with the Kochon Prize 2026. According to a press release, REACH has become the first civil society and non-profit organisation from India to receive this prestigious global recognition for its contribution to the fight against TB.

This award is presented by the Kochon Foundation, an independent non-profit foundation based in South Korea, in collaboration with the Stop TB Partnership. The prize is awarded to individuals and organisations that have made significant contributions to the struggle against TB. The 2026 award has been shared between REACH, the Center for Health Solutions of Kenya, and the Marshall Islands TB Control Programme.

The award presentation ceremony took place on November 5, 2026, during the Stop TB Partnership board meeting held in Indonesia. From India, this award was previously received by L.S. Chauhan, head of the Revised National TB Control Programme in 2006, the Indian Council of Medical Research in 2017, and Molbio Diagnostics in 2024.

Nalini Krishnan, Co-founder and Chairperson of REACH, stated, “Treat the person, not the disease—this has been the essence of our journey with TB communities. We realised early on that removing barriers to treatment does not only mean meeting clinical needs, but also identifying social, community, family, mental health, and situational challenges. This is the core of integrated care: seeing the person holistically, understanding their realities, and making every necessary effort to ensure that no one is left behind.”

Soumya Swaminathan, Chairperson of the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation and former Chief Scientist of WHO, who nominated REACH for the award, said, “REACH is a wonderful and rare organisation that has consistently stayed ahead in the field of public health, especially in the area of TB. This women-led organisation goes beyond data, reports, and the number of donors to truly care for the people they support. However, they combine this with a strong scientific and technical approach as well as an accurate understanding of the country's public health landscape.”

Responding to the achievement, Ramya Ananthakrishnan, Director of REACH, said, “This recognition is a testament to the dedication of our collaborative community health workers, TB survivors, and TB champions, as well as the families affected by TB and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) who have placed their trust in us. We are deeply grateful for their unwavering commitment and patience, and we are excited to work further to make equitable access to health accessible.”

According to a report by The Hindu, this organisation is the first non-profit civil society entity from India to receive this global award.