Health Minister JP Nadda calls for push towards a TB-free India
New Delhi, June 19 (IANS) Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda on Friday emphasised that the second phase of the intensified 100-day TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, scheduled to conclude in the first week of July 2026, represents a critical last-mile effort to identify every missing tuberculosis case
Chairing a high-level review meeting through video conferencing with Health Ministers and senior officials from States and Union Territories to assess the progress of the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, Nadda called for ensuring that no vulnerable individual is left behind.
Addressing the participants, Nadda noted that India has made remarkable progress in its fight against tuberculosis.
He informed that the country’s TB incidence has declined to 187 cases per lakh population in 2024 compared to the figure of 243 cases per lakh in 2014, said an official statement.
He said that TB mortality has also witnessed a significant reduction and stands at a figure of 21 per lakh of the population in 2024 compared to 34 per lakh in 2014.
Nadda highlighted that more than 28.1 crore people have already been screened, 20 lakh people given TB preventive treatment and 5.7 lakh new ‘Nikshay Mitras’ have been added so far under the intensified campaigns since December 2024, reflecting the scale and reach of the government’s efforts.
The Union Health Minister appreciated the efforts of all States, Union Territories, frontline health workers, volunteers, development partners, and community stakeholders in advancing the goals of the Intensified 100-Day TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan.
Reaffirming the Government of India’s unwavering commitment to eliminating tuberculosis, he stated that the vision of a TB-Mukt Bharat, as envisaged by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, can be achieved only through sustained collective action and whole-of-society participation, said the statement.
He emphasised that the mission would attain its true success only when every State, Union Territory, and district in the country becomes TB Mukt.
During the review, it was informed that since the launch of the second phase of the intensified 100-day TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, so far more than 1.7 lakh Ayushman Arogya Shivirs have been held covering over 1.20 lakh high-risk villages, wards and congregate settings, said the statement.
The campaign has also witnessed unprecedented community participation, with approximately 32 lakh youths from schools and colleges and nearly 1.9 lakh My Bharat volunteers actively supporting awareness and screening activities.
–IANS
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