World TB Day: PM launches several initiatives to eliminate tuberculosis

Varanasi (UP): India’s ideology of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbkam” is giving the modern world an integrated vision and solutions, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday as he launched a series of initiatives to eliminate tuberculosis.

Addressing the ‘One World TB Summit’ on World TB Day, Modi said the country is working to eliminate tuberculosis by 2025 as against the global target of 2030.

“India’s image reflects in its ideology of ‘Vasudev Kutumbkam’ (whole world one family). This old thought is giving the modern world an integrated vision and solutions,” the Prime Minister said.

As G-20 president, India chose the theme of ‘One Family, One World, One Future’ based on such beliefs, Modi said. India is forwarding the vision of ‘One Earth, One Health’ in the world, he said while underlining that India is realising the resolutions of global good with the ‘One World TB Summit’.

The prime minister asserted that the thought and approach with which India worked against tuberculosis after 2014 is “incredible”.

“This effort of India should be known to the whole world today because this is a new model in the global fight against TB. “In nine years, India has united in this fight against TB on many fronts such as public participation, special campaigns for nutrition, new strategies for treatment, intensive use of technology and promoting good health though campaigns like Khelo India and Yoga,” he said.

Another major resolution of India is to eliminate tuberculosis by 2025 as against the global target of 2030, Modi said. Referring to the capacity and health infrastructure enhancement during the Covid pandemic, Modi underlined the high use of trace, test, track, treat and technology in the fight against the disease.

There is massive global potential in this local approach of India, said the prime minister. Modi said the country launched a unique campaign to fight the disease.

During his visit to Varanasi, the PM laid foundation stones and launched 28 development projects worth over Rs 1,780 crore. He said Uttar Pradesh is rising from the earlier hopelessness towards a state of hope and aspiration under the Yogi Adityanath government.

He also announced that a big campaign to promote natural farming would start on both sides of the Ganga.