President Droupadi Murmu launches TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan to eliminate TB by 2025

New Delhi: “When a welfare scheme is made in interest of people, its chances of success increase manifold,” stated the President of India, Droupadi Murmu as she urged citizens to work collectively towards TB elimination in spirit of Jan Bhaagidari on a war footing and launched the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan.

The President also launched the Ni-kshay Mitra initiative to ensure additional diagnostic, nutritional, and vocational support to those on TB treatment, and encouraged elected representatives, corporates, NGOs, and individuals to come forward as donors to help the patients complete their journey towards recovery. The Ni-kshay 2.0 portal will facilitate in providing additional patient support to improve treatment outcome of TB patients, augmenting community involvement in meeting India’s commitment to end TB by 2025 and leveraging Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) opportunities.

President of India appreciated the tireless efforts of the healthcare workers, community leaders, and citizens for managing the COVID-19 pandemic and underlined the need to adopt a similar whole-of-society approach to eliminate TB from the country.

Murmu reiterated the goal of universal health coverage ensuring no one is left behind in accessing affordable quality healthcare through all levels of the health system. Highlighting the progress made through the Ayushman Bharat scheme in this endeavour, she expressed confidence in pivotal role of the strengthened healthcare system in achieving TB elimination goals. She stressed on enhanced awareness regarding the treatment for TB, a curable disease. The treatment is available free of cost at government health facilities.

The President also highlighted the need to collectively fight the stigma attached with the disease.

Union Health & Family Welfare Minister, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, and Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare, Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar were present at the launch event along with Union Ministers, Governors and Lt. Governors, State Health Ministers and other dignitaries.

The virtual event, also attended by state and district health administrations, representatives from corporates, industries, civil society, NGOs, and TB Champions, reiterated India’s commitment to eliminate the high-burden infectious disease by 2025, five years ahead of the global goal of 2030. This vision was first articulated by the Hon’ble Prime Minister at the Delhi End TB Summit in March 2018.

Speaking on the occasion, Union Health Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya stated that “the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan is an extension of Hon’ble Prime Minister’s citizen- centric policies”. He attributed success of the TB programme on key indicators such as TB case notifications and consistent efforts that led to monthly notification reporting to reach pre-pandemic levels by end of 2021.

Dr. Mandaviya informed that there are roughly 13.5 lakh TB patients registered in the Nikshay portal, out of which 8.9 lakh active TB patients have given their consent for adoption. The Ni-kshay digital portal will provide a platform for community support for persons with TB. He urged all citizens, NGOs, corporate houses, elected representatives etc, to support the movement by becoming Ni-kshay Mitras and convene gatherings to discuss the initiative, so no one with TB is left behind.

The National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP), previously known as Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP), aims to strategically reduce TB burden in India by 2025, five years ahead of the Sustainable Development Goals.

In 2020, the RNTCP was renamed as the National TB Elimination Program (NTEP) to emphasize the aim of the Government of India to eliminate TB in India by 2025. It reached over a billion people in 632 districts/reporting units and is responsible for carrying out the Government of India’s five-year National Strategic Plans for TB elimination along with the States/UTs.