India's Commitment to Eliminate Tuberculosis
Prime Minister Narendra Modi reaffirmed India's dedication to eradicating tuberculosis (TB) by advocating for a complete governmental and societal approach to extend successful strategies nationwide. He emphasized the importance of analyzing TB case trends in both urban and rural settings, considering occupational factors to identify high-risk groups for early testing and treatment.
Key Strategies and Campaigns
- Early Testing and Treatment:
- Focus on workers in construction, mining, and textile mills.
- Community Participation:
- Jan Bhagidari (community participation) emphasized as crucial for cleanliness and disease elimination.
- TB Elimination Target:
- India aims to eliminate TB by 2025, ahead of the global 2030 target.
- 100-day TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan Launched:
- Focused on 347 priority districts.
- Screened over 12.9 crore vulnerable individuals.
- Detected 7.19 lakh new TB cases, including 2.85 lakh asymptomatic cases.
Technological Innovations
- AI-driven Hand-held X-ray Machines:
- Enabled detection of asymptomatic patients without a doctor.
- Tests conducted by minimally trained health workers.
Community and Government Support
- Jan Bhagidari:
- Involvement of parliamentarians, Assembly members, local representatives, and the public.
- Nutritional Support:
- Over 1 lakh new Nikshay Mitras involved in providing nutritional support to TB patients.
- Additional support of `1,000 from the government.
Statistics and Achievements
- Global TB Report:
- In 2023, India reported 25.2 lakh TB cases out of an estimated 28 lakh.