PM Modi launches campaign to eradicate TB from India by 2025

new delhi — Launching the TBfree India campaign to eradicate the disease by 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said global efforts to eliminate tuberculosis have not been successful and stressed on changing the approach to achieve the goal.

Modi said the government is moving ahead with the principle of “treat every TB patient best at the very first opportunity” and is rop- ing in the private sector as well.

He also called for multi-sectoral engagement and participation of all stake-holders at every level to create “TB-free village, panchayat, district and state”, noting that frontline TB physicians and workers can make a major contribution in this direction.

Holding that tuberculosis impacts lives, economy and the future of a nation, he said it is the poor who are worst affected by this communicable disease and every step taken towards eradicating

If something doesn’t yield desired results even after 10-20 years, then we need to change our approach.” Narendra Modi, prime minister

tuberculosis is directly connected to their lives.

The prime minister was speaking at the inauguration of the Delhi End-TB Summit here.

He said the World Health Organisation had declared tuberculosis an emergency 25 years ago and since then several countries have made efforts to eliminate the disease.

“But the ground reality still remains that we have not been successful in curbing tuberculosis yet. If something doesn’t yield desired results even after 10-20 years, then we need to change our approach and analyse the work done, which could help in finding new paths,” Modi said.

He launched the TB-free India campaign to take the activities under the National Strategic Plan for TB Elimination forward in a mission mode for eradicating the disease by 2025.

“A target has been set to end TB globally by 2030. I would like to announce that we have set aim to eradicate it from India five years ahead, by 2025,” Modi said. State governments have a major role to play in elimination of TB from India, the prime minister said, adding he has written to all chief ministers to join this mission. — PTI