PM sets 2025 deadline for TB-mukt India

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday set a deadline of 2025 to free India from tuberculosis (TB), five years ahead of the global deadline set by World Health Organisation (WHO).

"The deadline to eradicate TB from the world has been set at 2030. But I declare that India would be free from tuberculosis five years ahead by 2025. The target is set," said Modi in his inaugural address at Delhi End TB Summit at Vigyan Bhawan.

India is confident of achieving its target of 2025 as the government is following a new approach with multi-sectoral interventions, said the Prime Minister.

The disease was declared as an emergency 25 years ago, and since then several countries have tried different measures to check the disease but with limited success, and there was a need to change the approach of tackling the problem advocating for a more holistic approach, he added,

"India has launched a new approach and strategy to eradicate TB from the country. The National Strategic Plan is fully operation," he said.

In 2016, the number of tuberculosis-related deaths in India was more than 400,000, about one-third of the total number of global toll.

Modi said immunisation in India had been going on for 30-35 years but at the prevailing rate of one percent in 2014, another 40 years would have been required. "In the last three-and-a-half years, the rate has gone up to six percent. By next year, I am confident of achieving 90 percent immunisation in the country." See also P7