Government Achieves Significant Progress in TB Fight: Nadda
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Synopsis
On World Tuberculosis Day, Union Health Minister JP Nadda highlighted the government's significant progress in tackling TB, aiming for its elimination by 2025. The National TB Elimination Programme and the India 100 Days TB Campaign are key initiatives in this fight.
Key Takeaways
- Government's commitment to eliminate TB by 2025.
- 17.7% decline in TB incidence since 2015.
- Launch of the 100-day TB campaign targeting high-burden districts.
- Nikshya Poshan Yojana for TB patient nutrition support.
- TB is preventable and treatable.
New Delhi, March 24 (NationPress) The government has made significant progress in the fight against tuberculosis -- the world’s most lethal infectious disease, stated Union Health Minister JP Nadda on World Tuberculosis (TB) Day this Monday.
World Tuberculosis (TB) Day is celebrated every year on March 24 to enhance awareness about this condition. The theme for this year is “Yes! We Can End TB: Commit, Invest, Deliver”.
Nadda reiterated the government’s objective to eradicate TB by the year 2025 -- a benchmark established by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2017 to eliminate the disease five years prior to the global deadline.
“Our government has made significant progress in addressing this disease through the National TB Elimination Programme,” Nadda mentioned in a post on the social media platform X.
As per the WHO Global TB Report 2024, India has experienced a remarkable 17.7 percent reduction in TB incidence from 2015 to 2023 -- a rate more than twice the global average decline of 8.3 percent.
Additionally, TB-related deaths have decreased by 21.4 percent from 28 per lakh population in 2015 to 22 per lakh population in 2023, according to the data.
Nadda also highlighted the launch of the 100-day TB campaign in December.
“To strengthen our efforts, we initiated the India 100 Days TB Elimination Campaign, targeting high-burden districts and ensuring TB services reach the community level”.
The campaign focuses on 347 selected high-priority districts across 33 States/UTs. Recently, Nadda stated that the campaign has identified over 500,000 TB patients.
Furthermore, to enhance nutrition for TB patients, the government has introduced the Nikshya Poshan Yojana. Under this initiative, TB patients receive financial support for nutrition during their treatment.
The monthly assistance has been increased from Rs. 500 to Rs. 1000 to better support TB patients' nutritional requirements,” Nadda remarked.
Tuberculosis (TB) is a bacterial infection that primarily affects the lungs. It is transmitted through the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or spits. TB is both preventable and treatable.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), India reported 2.8 million TB cases, which constitutes 26 percent -- the highest -- of the global TB burden in 2024.
The nation also recorded approximately 315,000 TB-related deaths, accounting for 29 percent of global deaths.
“On World Tuberculosis Day, we reaffirm our commitment to eradicating TB and enhancing health outcomes for at-risk populations,” Nadda concluded.
The Health Minister expressed “sincere appreciation for all healthcare professionals providing comprehensive support to TB patients”.
“Together, we can achieve a #TBMuktBharat and strive for improved health for everyone,” Nadda added.
