Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday, 21 June 2026, highlighted the state government's progress in tuberculosis elimination, citing the screening of over 2.5 lakh people as a significant milestone toward a TB-free Assam and the national goal of PM TB Mukt Bharat.

Context

In his post, CM Sarma credited 'the dedication of our health warriors and our Government's resolve to build a TB-free Assam' for delivering results. He underscored that 'early detection is key to eliminating TB,' framing the mass screening drive as central to realising the vision of PM TB Mukt Bharat. The statement positions Assam as an active contributor to India's national tuberculosis elimination agenda.

Tuberculosis remains one of India's most persistent public health challenges. India accounts for a significant share of the global TB burden, and state-level screening drives are considered critical to closing the gap between estimated and detected cases.

Policy Backdrop

The Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, launched in 2022, is the flagship community-mobilisation initiative under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. It builds on the National TB Elimination Programme — rebranded in 2020 from the Revised National TB Control Programme — which targets an 80 percent reduction in TB incidence by 2025, five years ahead of the global Sustainable Development Goal deadline set in India's National Strategic Plan for TB Elimination 2017–2025.

A key feature of the Abhiyan is the Nikshay Mitra initiative, which mobilises community volunteers and institutions to provide nutritional support and track patient adherence. Assam, with a population of over 3.5 crore, has been among the northeastern states receiving focused attention under the National Health Mission to address detection and treatment gaps.

Stakeholders and Impact

The primary beneficiaries of the screening drive are Assam's residents, particularly those in communities with historically lower access to diagnostic services. Frontline health workers — referred to by CM Sarma as 'health warriors' — are the operational backbone of such active case-finding campaigns. Early detection directly improves treatment outcomes and reduces community transmission.

TB patients identified through such drives become eligible for nutritional and financial support under the Nikshay Poshan Yojana, which provides a direct benefit transfer to patients undergoing treatment. The scale of 2.5 lakh screenings signals a broad-based outreach effort rather than a facility-driven approach.

What's Next

The 2025 national TB elimination target set under the National Strategic Plan will face a mid-term accountability test as state-level incidence data are reviewed in upcoming National Health Mission review meetings. Assam's ability to translate large-scale screening into confirmed case detection, treatment initiation, and cure rates will be the metric that determines whether the drive meaningfully advances the elimination goal.

With the 2025 deadline having passed, the emphasis is now on sustaining momentum and measuring actual reductions in TB incidence — making state-level data disclosures and programme reviews increasingly consequential for the national target's credibility.