Aim to eradicate TB by 2025: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced that the Government has set the aim to eradicate tuberculosis (TB) from India by 2025.

Speaking at the 'End TB summit', the Prime Minsiter said, "2030 has been set as the target around the world for eradicating TB, but I would like to announce that we have set the aim five years ahead of it, that is, we aim to eradicate TB from India by 2025."

At the event, PM Modi launched Tuberculosis Free India Campaign, and remarked that it is directly linked with the lives of the poor, "Among the communicable diseases in India, TB's influence has been the most and the poor are the ones suffering the most from it. That is why every step taken towards eradicating TB is directly linked to the lives of the poor."

Prime Minister Modi also said that the unsuccessful efforts towards curbing the disease called for a re-evaluation and change in the approach.

"The fact that several ministers from all states and concerned officers are present in the event here, indicate how we, as Team India, are determined to eradicate TB from India," PM Modi remarked, adding that he has also written to all chief ministers to join the campaign

The Prime Minister further informed that immunisation coverage in the country has increased more than six percent in the last three-and-a-half years.

"Earlier our immunisation coverage was growing at a speed of just one percent. With this pace, it would have taken us another 40 years to achieve it. In just three-and-a-half years, it has increased more than six percent per annum and in the next one year we are going to achieve a goal of 90 percent immunisation," he said.

The summit is being co-hosted by the Health Ministry, World Health Organisation (WHO) South East Asia Regional Office and Stop TB Partnership.