Collective efforts needed to eliminate TB from India by 2025: Prez Murmu

New Delhi: Urging citizens to work collectively towards the elimination of TB from the country by 2025 on a war footing, President Droupadi Murmu on Friday hailed the government's initiative to provide community support to TB patients through the 'Ni-kshay 2.0' portal under which TB patients can be adopted and cared for by an individual, elected representatives or institutions.

While virtually launching the PM TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, the President said, "When a welfare scheme is made in the interest of people, its chances of success increases manifold."

Murmu said that of all the infectious diseases, the maximum number of deaths occur due to TB. "While India has a little less than 20 per cent of the world's population, it has more than 25 per cent of the total TB patients of the world. This is a matter of concern," Murmu said, noting most of the people affected by TB come from the poor section of society.

The President also launched the 'Ni-kshay Mitra' initiative to ensure additional diagnostic, nutritional, and vocational support to those on TB treatment, and encouraged elected representatives, corporates, NGOs, and individuals to come forward as donors to help the patients complete their journey towards recovery.

The 'Ni-kshay 2.0' portal will facilitate in providing additional patient support to improve treatment outcomes of TB patients, augmenting community involvement in meeting India's commitment to end TB by 2025 and leveraging Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) opportunities.

The president said that India has set an example to the world in tackling the Covid-19 pandemic. The policy of 'New India' to move forward with confidence is also visible in the field of TB eradication.

According to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), all nations have set the goal of eradicating TB by the year 2030, but India has set the target of eradicating TB by the year 2025 and efforts are being made at every level to fulfil this resolution.

Speaking on the occasion, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya stated that "the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan is an extension of Prime Minister's citizen- centric policies."

He attributed the success of the TB programme on key indicators such as TB case notifications and consistent efforts that led to monthly notification reporting to reach pre-pandemic levels by end of 2021.

Mandaviya informed that there are roughly 13.5 lakh TB patients registered in the 'Ni-kshay portal', out of which 8.9 lakh active TB patients have given their consent for adoption.