Mukherjee calls for united national effort to tackle tuberculosis

Expressing confidence that India can be free of tuberculosis within a short period of time, President Pranab Mukherjee has urged all Indians to work unitedly to bring an end to the scourge of tuberculosis within the country.

In his message on the occasion of World Tuberculosis Day, which is observed every year on March 24, Mukherjee said: "On the occasion of World Tuberculosis Day, I urge all Indians to work unitedly to bring an end to the scourge of Tuberculosis within our country. It is a matter of deep concern that TB continues to kill one person every two minutes or almost 750 people daily within India."

"Let us commit ourselves to building health care systems in the country which are equitable, affordable and accessible by all sections of the society. I am confident with determined efforts, we can establish a TB-free India within a short period of time," he added.

Asserting that global TB control is unattainable without controlling the incidence of TB in India, Mukherjee said: " Our endeavour should be improved diagnosis of TB patients and providing high-quality treatment for all diagnosed cases.