9.55L TB patients adopted under Centre's Ni-Kshay Mitra initiative: Govt

With the goal of achieving Sustainable Development Goals related to tuberculosis by 2025, the National TB Elimination programme implements key activities

Around 9.55 lakh out of the 9.69 lakh consented tuberculosis patients have been adopted till March 9 under the Centre's Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Tuesday.

With the goal of achieving Sustainable Development Goals related to tuberculosis by 2025, five years ahead of the global targets, the National TB Elimination programme implements key activities, Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar said in a written reply.

The activities include state and district specific strategic plan for targeted interventions in high-burden areas, provision of free drugs and diagnostics to TB patients, including for drug-resistant TB, and active tuberculosis case-finding campaign in key vulnerable and co-morbid populations, the minister said.

It also include integration with Ayushman Bharat - Health and Wellness Centres to decentralize screening and treatment services closer to the community, private sector engagement, scale-up of molecular diagnostic laboratories to sub-district levels and Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana for nutritional support to TB patients among others, she said.