WHO ready to help India eliminate TB by 2025

Male: India is committed to eliminating tuberculosis (TB) by 2025, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) which is ready to help the country achieve the target by developing strategies in collaboration with the government to fight the deadly disease. The World Health body has called on countries in SouthEast Asia Region to build on recent momentum aimed at ending TB by 2030, commending their resolve to take action and urging all countries to review and align national plans with the Delhi Call to Action issued in March. “India is making commitments now, like we are talking about TB elimination in 2030, Maldives I think will be able to achieve it by 2020. India has announced they will be able to achieve it by 2025. So we are there to support our countries in achieving the targets they make for themselves,” said Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO South- East Asia. It is estimated that India had 28 lakh tuberculosis cases in 2015 and 4.8 lakh people died due to the disease during the year, according to the WHO Global TB Report. “India has a high burden of TB. There are large numbers in India which also compound the problem. The Prime Minister has announced that India will be able to eliminate TB and the government is working hard to address the problem,” Singh said. Asked whether India can achieve the set target as the country has a high prevalence of the disease, Singh said, “WHO will help India to try to see that this goal is achieved and we are trying our best to see how we can develop strategies with the government and to address this problem which is prevalent in India.” “The Region-wide momentum established to ‘bend the curve’ and end TB by 2030 is laudable. The Delhi Call for Action, issued by health ministers in March, demonstrates high-level awareness that business as usual is not enough, and that intensified efforts are needed. —