JP Nadda Leads Inter-Ministerial Meet to Boost TB Mukt Bharat Campaign

JP Nadda chairs meeting with Ministries of Youth Affairs & Sports, Labour & Employment, and Defence to strengthen support for TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan

New Delhi, July 7

Addressing the meeting, Union Health Minister JP Nadda highlighted the remarks of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the recent PRAGATI review meeting, wherein the Prime Minister underscored the need to harness the power of India's youth to transform the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan into a nationwide people's movement.

In line with this vision, Nadda emphasised that achieving the goal of eliminating tuberculosis requires a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach, with every Ministry, institution and stakeholder contributing through their respective strengths and outreach, said a release.

He noted that the active participation of young people, community organisations, educational institutions, workplaces and government departments will be instrumental in accelerating awareness, early detection, treatment adherence and patient support, thereby advancing the national goal of a TB-Mukt Bharat.

Speaking to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, the Union Health Minister urged the ministry to scale up the engagement of MY Bharat volunteers and National Cadet Corps (NCC) cadets in the campaign, building on the existing TB Mukt Bharat Toli model.

He asked the ministry to expand volunteer-led mobilisation for screening camps, strengthen the Experiential Learning Programme pathway that trains volunteers as Lead Ni-kshay Mitras, and deepen youth-led awareness efforts in schools, colleges, and communities.

From the Ministry of Defence, the Minister sought continued and expanded support from NCC cadets and defence personnel in community awareness rallies, mobilisation for screening camps, household contact education, and nutrition support drives for TB patients, along with the integration of TB awareness into existing NCC training camps, special occasions like Republic Day and Independence Day activities, adventure camps and rural outreach programmes.

Speaking at the Occasion, Union Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports and Labour & Employment Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya suggested a stronger institutional convergence and coordinated action to add further impetus to the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan.

He highlighted that the country has nearly 6 lakh undergraduate medical students and around 2 lakh postgraduate medical students, constituting a large pool of trained human resources that can be meaningfully engaged in the campaign through medical colleges across the country, the release further said.

To further strengthen coordination at the district level, Mandaviya suggested that candidates from the Pratibha Setu programme may be suitably engaged in the District TB Coordination Committee. He noted that around 600 officers under the programme could serve as effective coordinators between the Government of India, the Deans of medical colleges and the State Government's District TB Officers, thereby ensuring better planning, implementation and monitoring of TB elimination activities at the district level.

Mandaviya also emphasised the importance of bringing the Ministry of Education on board to further strengthen coordination with medical colleges, educational institutions and youth networks, enabling wider participation and reinforcing the whole-of-government approach towards achieving the goal of a TB-Mukt Bharat.

The TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, launched in December 2024, has significantly accelerated India's efforts towards tuberculosis elimination through active case finding, enhanced patient support and a whole-of-government approach.

Since its launch, more than 28 crore vulnerable individuals have been screened for TB across the country, leading to the notification of over 39 lakh TB patients. Notably, 12.93 lakh asymptomatic TB patients were identified through active screening using chest X-rays, enabling early diagnosis of individuals who would otherwise have remained undetected and continued transmitting the disease within their communities.

The campaign has also strengthened patient-centric support mechanisms. More than 5.7 lakh Ni-kshay Mitras have registered under the initiative and have distributed 38.9 lakh nutrition baskets to TB patients.

In addition, over 20 lakh patients have been assessed and provided individualised support under the programme's differentiated care approach, ensuring that treatment and care are tailored to their clinical and social needs.

The meeting focused on enhancing inter-sectoral coordination to expand the reach of tuberculosis (TB) prevention, early detection, treatment adherence, nutritional support, and community participation, while leveraging the institutional strengths and extensive outreach networks of the participating Ministries, the release added.

The meeting deliberated on a series of collaborative interventions to strengthen the implementation of the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan through coordinated action across Ministries. It was agreed that the extensive outreach network of MY Bharat volunteers, National Cadet Corps (NCC) cadets and youth organisations would be leveraged to expand the existing TB Mukt Bharat Toli model, support community mobilisation for TB screening camps, strengthen the Experiential Learning Programme for developing Lead Ni-kshay Mitras, and intensify youth-led awareness campaigns in schools, colleges and communities.

To enhance workplace-based TB interventions, discussions focused on developing a TB-free workplace framework by integrating TB screening into occupational health practices, particularly in high-risk sectors such as mining, construction, textiles, transport and among migrant workers.

The meeting also emphasised mobilising employers, trade unions and labour welfare institutions, including the Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) and the Directorate General Factory Advice Service and Labour Institutes (DGFASLI), to facilitate workplace screening, ensure continuity of treatment and promote supportive measures for workers undergoing TB treatment.

The meeting further underscored the important role of defence institutions in strengthening community engagement under the campaign. It was agreed to further leverage the extensive network of NCC cadets and defence personnel to support awareness rallies, mobilisation for TB screening camps, household contact education and nutrition support initiatives for TB patients.

— ANI