Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda launched the intensified national ‘100-Day TB Elimination Campaign’ on Saturday, December 7, 2024, in Haryana. The campaign, aimed at reducing tuberculosis (TB) incidence and mortality, will be implemented in 347 districts across the country. It focuses on identifying and treating ‘missing TB cases,’ particularly among high-risk groups, with the goal of making India ‘TB-mukt (free)’ in the near future.
At the launch event, Nadda highlighted that India’s TB decline rate has significantly outpaced the global average, doubling from 8.3% in 2015 to 17.7% today. Over the past decade, deaths from TB in the country have reduced by 21.4%. He attributed this progress to the government’s strengthened health infrastructure, including a pan-Indian network of over 1.7 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs for early TB detection.“
The government has made significant strides in improving diagnostic services, expanding the number of laboratories from just 120 in 2014 to 8,293 today,” Nadda said. He also noted that the introduction of a new, shorter regimen for drug-sensitive TB has improved the treatment success rate to 87%.
In a bid to further accelerate the elimination process, the government has made it mandatory for private medical practitioners to notify new TB cases, facilitating immediate follow-up treatment. This has led to an eight-fold increase in TB notifications from the private sector.
Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava assured that there would be no shortage of medicines or consumables during the campaign and called on all sectors of civil society to actively participate.
A key aspect of the campaign is the deployment of mobile, ultra-portable, AI-enabled X-ray units and molecular tests, bringing advanced diagnostic tools closer to communities, especially in remote areas.
The Health Ministry’s efforts, backed by the new campaign, are a vital step toward achieving a TB-free India in line with the government’s broader health objectives.
