'Need to fight TB together by rising above political differences'

Leaders from various parties, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, Bollywood actor Sohail Khan and international health experts Saturday gathered here for a summit and highlighted that society needs to fight tuberculosis together by rising above "political differences".

The two-day TB-Free India Summit 2019 also saw participation of Haryana Chief Minister M L Khattar, Union minister Vijay Goel, Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh and Lok Sabha member Anurag Thakur, among others.

The summit, which kicked off Saturday with an exhibition cricket match, is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of a TB-free India by 2025, Thakur said and read out the message sent by him on the occasion.

"Our government has taken the goal to make India tuberculosis-free by 2025. We can achieve our goal by connecting as many people as possible by making people aware at the local-level, by examining methods of treatment for TB," Modi said in his message.

He said this summit will go a long way in drawing up an "implementable roadmap to wipe out TB".

Khattar, during the opening session of the event held at the National Stadium here, said, "We need to fight TB together as a society. We need to rise above political differences to combat this disease."
Marijke Wijnroks, Chief of Staff at the Global Fund, an international financing organisation, said, "Ending a preventable and curable disease like TB in India and globally is achievable. But it will require sustained funding and the kind of political commitment being shown by the Indian government to get us there."