India working to eradicate TB by 2025 against global target of 2030: PM Modi

PM Modi was speaking at the One World TB Summit at Rudrakash Convention Centre in Varanasi after launching various initiatives, including the TB-Mukt Panchayat

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said India is now working on eradicating Tuberculosis by 2025, five years ahead of the global deadline of 2030.

The PM also awarded select states, union territories and districts for their progress towards eradicating TB. (Twitter | Narendra Modi)

PM Modi was speaking at the One World TB Summit at Rudrakash Convention Centre in Varanasi after launching various initiatives, including the TB-Mukt Panchayat, the official pan-India rollout of a shorter TB Preventive Treatment (TPT), a family-centric care model for TB and the release of India’s Annual TB Report 2023.

PM Modi also laid the foundation stone of the National Centre for Disease Control and High Containment Laboratory and inaugurated the site for Metropolitan Public Health Surveillance Unit in Varanasi.

The prime minister also awarded select states, union territories and districts for their progress towards eradicating TB.

The prime minister highlighted that as a country, the reflection of India’s ideology can be seen in the spirit of Vasudev Kutumbakam (the whole world is one family).

He noted that as the G20 President, India chose the theme of “One Family, One World, One Future” based on such beliefs.

“The theme of G20 is a resolution for the shared future of the entire world,” PM Modi said.

“Sometime back, India had also taken the initiative to take forward the vision of ‘One Earth, One Health’. And now, through ‘One World TB Summit’, India is fulfilling another pledge of Global Good,” PM Modi said

He elaborated on a multi-pronged approach against TB in the last nine years.

He listed people’s participation, enhancing nutrition, treatment innovation, tech integration, wellness and prevention interventions such as Fit India, Yoga, and Khelo India.

“In the fight against TB, the great thing that India has done is people’s participation. We have made an appeal to the people to become Nikshay Mitra to join the campaign of TB-free India. Thereafter, common people of the country adopted around 10 lakh (1 million) TB patients,” he said.

Financial help to TB patients under the programme has reached up to ₹1,000 crore, he added.

He mentioned the strategy of ensuring that that no TB patient is left out of treatment.

“We have linked TB patients with the Ayushman Bharat Scheme for their screening and treatment. Simultaneously, we have increased the number of labs for free TB test. We worked on a new strategy to ensure that no TB patient is left out of treatment. The strategy of trace, test, track, treat and technology, is being followed strictly in the fight against the disease,” PM Modi added.

He also expressed confidence about India’s success against TB.

“Today’s New India is known for achieving its goals,” Modi said and gave examples of achieving the pledge to be Open Defecation Free, achieving the target of solar power generation capacity as well as the target of ethanol blending of fixed percentage in petrol ahead of schedule.