Prime Minister’s dream, India will be TB free by 2025

New Delhi: Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan held a high-level meeting with senior officials of the Union Health Ministry and other development partners to launch a mass movement related to support, communication and social cohesion (ACSM) against tuberculosis.

Initially, Dr. Harsh Vardhan highlighted the steps taken by the Government of India under the National Tuberculosis Eradication Program (NTEP) in the fight against TB, which were supported with wide-ranging commitments, both positive steps and resources. The Union Minister said, “We want to celebrate 2021 as a tuberculosis year.” In this regard, he noted the extensive progress made in ensuring high quality care during the last few years for free treatment of all patients for TB where he wants to be treated, and expressed confidence that this would significantly increase demand for services. , The sense of shame towards the disease will end and will help achieve the goal of TB-free India by 2025.

Underlining the importance of new strategies to overcome the disease at historic levels and the need for prompt and sustained attention to achieve the goal of TB-free India, the Union Minister said, “Even if the TB program in the National Tuberculosis Eradication Program Efforts are underway to further strengthen management and service supply, but this can only happen when the wider population works with a sense of democracy and mass mobilization through the spread of awareness within their communities, encouraging health-friendly behavior. At the same time removing the sense of shame against TB will make the movement against this disease a success. ”He immediately highlighted the importance of reaching the maximum population and ensuring full participation and cooperation of the communities, as well as The reaction of community-based groups at various stages of TB is one of the main pillars of this movement.

Not only did India succeed in dealing with the pandemic under the Kovid-19 management, but India has emerged as a leader and the world is looking towards India for solutions, diagnostics and vaccines. Regarding the inspiration that came from this, Dr. Harsh Vardhan said, “After the pandemic, the role of awareness and awareness on accurate information and proper behavior and hygiene procedures has increased once again. Similarly, nationwide messages on symptoms of TB can increase the level of information and create awareness on vigilant behavior related to control of TB infection in the country. ” He reminded of the steps taken by him as Delhi’s Health Minister in spreading awareness against polio, including the involvement of neighborhood chemist shops.

He chaired the meeting on the National Technical Support Unit (NTSU), which proposed to work collaboratively with development partners in support of the efforts of the Government of India at the national level and in the states, to demand the services available under the TB program Implementing various support and communication strategies to generate and spread awareness will help strengthen the program at the grassroots level.

Development partners working with the TB program spoke on the occasion of the impact of their work during the past few years and shared their plans to support the proposed mass movement.

Central Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan, Additional Secretary (Health) Aarti Ahuja, DGHS Dr. Sunil Kumar and other senior officials of the Ministry were present on the occasion. Representatives of WHO’s Country Representative in India Dr. Roderico Offrin and development partners like BMGF and USAID were also present at the event.