Nadda meets CMs, urges support for Centre's intensified TB campaign

Nadda called on CMs, lieutenant governors, state health ministers to monitor the campaign at state level and ensure the same is done by political and administrative leadership at the district level

To achieve its target of eliminating tuberculosis (TB) by 2025, the Minister of Health and Family Welfare, JP Nadda, on Saturday urged states and union territories (UTs) to support the Centre’s ongoing 100-day intensified TB elimination campaign.

 

The campaign, launched by the Centre on December 7, aims to reduce TB incidence and mortality in 347 high-focus districts across 33 states and UTs. It seeks to address the challenges posed by TB prevalence in India, which continues to account for a significant share of the global TB burden.

 

Nadda called on chief ministers, lieutenant governors, and state health ministers to monitor the campaign at the state level and ensure the same is done by political and administrative leadership at the district level.

 

The minister also urged states and UTs to adopt a whole-of-government approach, involving other ministries and departments to support campaign activities. He emphasised the importance of engaging elected representatives, especially members of legislative assemblies and councils, as well as panchayati raj institutions, to help mobilise communities.

 

Nadda added that the Centre is working to ensure an advanced stock of at least six months of TB medicines in the states, while the current stock stands at approximately two months’ supply.

 

Key focus areas of the 100-day campaign include increased access to advanced diagnostics, targeted screening of vulnerable groups, specialised care for high-risk individuals, and expanded nutritional support for TB patients.

 

The initiative also aims to leverage the network of Ayushman Aarogya Mandirs across the country to provide TB services at the grassroots level.

 

According to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) latest Global Tuberculosis Report 2023, India tops the list of 30 high-burden countries for TB. The report states that TB disproportionately affects people in these countries, with India accounting for 26 per cent of the global TB burden.

 

Similarly, in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha earlier this month, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel revealed that around 2.17 million (21.69 lakh) tuberculosis cases had been notified in India between January and October 2024.

 

“The notified TB cases increased from 1.80 million in 2020 to 2.55 million in 2023,” she stated in response to a parliamentary query.