Centre to expand its TB elimination campaign all over India: JP Nadda

In order to achieve the Centre’s goal of eliminating tuberculosis (TB) by 2025, minister of health and family welfare JP Nadda on Monday announced the expansion of its TB elimination campaign to all districts across the country.

 

This comes after the government’s 100-day intensified TB screening campaign concluded on March 24, which is also World TB Day.

 

Launched on December 7, 2024, the programme originally covered 347 high-focus districts across 33 states and Union Territories (UTs) to address TB mortality challenges in India.

 

“The total number of districts increased to 445 after states and UTs included aspirational districts and blocks to achieve TB elimination by 2025,” Nadda said at an event marking the conclusion of the 100-day programme.

 

Addressing the event, Nadda said that 129.7 million vulnerable people were screened for TB in these 100 days, leading to the detection of 7.19 lakh new cases.

 

“Of these, approximately 2.85 lakh were asymptomatic cases who might have otherwise gone undetected without the stratified screening strategy of the campaign,” he added.

 

He stated that the 100-day programme strategically screened vulnerable populations such as asymptomatic individuals, household contacts of TB patients, undernourished individuals, and those with chronic comorbidities such as diabetes and HIV.

 

Nadda added that the campaign used indigenous technology approved by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to improve case detection, reduce diagnostic delays, and ensure timely treatment initiation for vulnerable populations.

 

India has set 2025 as its target year for TB elimination, five years ahead of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) target of 2030.

 

According to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Tuberculosis Report 2024, India tops the list of 30 high-burden TB countries, accounting for 26 per cent of the global TB burden.

 

The ministry also launched a guidance document on differentiated TB care to ensure timely and effective care for high-risk patients, such as those suffering from severe undernutrition or respiratory insufficiency.