Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on May 13 chaired a meeting to review progress of the tuberculosis (TB) elimination campaign. India has set a TB-elimination target for 2025, five years ahead of the global target of 2030.
The intensified campaign to eliminate TB started in December last year. The meeting was attended by Union Health Minister, JP Nadda, health secretary, Punya Salila Srivastava, and senior officials from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
“Chaired a meeting on India’s mission to eliminate TB. Driven by active public participation, the movement has gained significant momentum over the last few years. Our government remains committed to working closely with all stakeholders to realise the vision of a TB-free India,” wrote the PM on microblogging site X. TB is one of the leading infectious diseases globally, and in India, nearly 2.6 million new patients were notified, last year, according to the data.
Under the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP), India has strengthened its TB response with advanced diagnostics, innovative policies, private sector partnerships, and a patient-first approach. Key drivers include record-high case reporting, better diagnostics, financial support for patients, and strong multisector collaboration. Globally, nearly 20 per cent of global TB incidence, which is the number of new cases, is attributable to undernutrition, increasing to at least a third in India.
The Central Government has been proactive in providing nutritional support to TB patients under its Ni-Kshay Poshan Yojana.
