India all set to eliminate TB by 2025, says Health minister J P Nadda

Bhubaneswar: Union Health Minister J P Nadda on Friday said that India will meet the target of eliminating tuberculosis (TB) from the country by the end of this year, five years ahead of the global target.

Nadda said this while inaugurating the 9th National Summit on Good and Replicable Practices and Innovations in Public Healthcare System in Puri. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has organised the two-day-long conference.

"As per the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), India has to eliminate TB by 2030. But, we are all set to achieve it by 2025," Nadda said.

"We have already identified 5 lakh TB patients during the ongoing 100-day TB Mukt Bharat campaign in 455 districts across the country. An extensive campaign is going on. We are going to include all aspirational districts and aspirational blocks under the campaign so that we will be able to eliminate tuberculosis by the end of 2025," he said.

Nadda advised the participating health officers to treat the public representatives as very important messengers and important tools for translation of the policies and programmes of the government.

"I see somewhere that officers are a little lagging behind in this aspect. So, please treat the public representatives as spokesperson of your policies and programmes. Take the PRI on board for better implementation of TB Mukt Bharat campaign along with the 22 lines departments," the Union Health minister advised the officers.

He said that there is a tremendous increase in non-communicable diseases due to the negative impact on the environment.

"Prime Minister has appealed to the people to decrease oil consumption by at least 10 per cent in every household. We have to take it as a movement with a holistic approach," he said.

Emphasising the delivery of quality healthcare at primary healthcare centres (PHC), Nadda said, "Our base needs to be strengthened to provide quality and accessible healthcare to the 1.4 billion population of our country."

While admitting that there is a shortage of doctors in the country, Nadda said telemedicine is the only solution to overcome the problem.

"We have to ensure the advice of specialist doctors to reach the PHC level and Ayushman Arogya Mandir Centers. Hub and spoke model needs to be adopted to address the issue," he added.

Drone service was introduced in the healthcare system. It should be expanded to hilly and remote areas, where travelling is very difficult, he suggested.

Stating that finance is not a problem, Nadda said, "If this government can open 22 AIIMS in a short span of 10 years, we are ready to give funds to provide quality healthcare services at PHC level under the NHM. However, you have to ensure that the fund is being properly utilised to enhance the quality of healthcare services."

The Union Health minister said the ongoing universal screening programme, which was started on February 20 will continue till March 31, for early detection of various diseases like diabetes, three types of cancers, etc.

"Our target is to reach 37 crore people through the campaign. We have to do it in a massive way so that every person in our country should know about the government facility," he further stated.

Due to Ayushman Bharat, 90 per cent of cancer cases were detected in early stage, within 30 days and their treatment started, he said.

Nadda said that 200 daycare centres for cancer patients will be opened this year while every district will have at least one daycare centre for cancer patients in another year.

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who was also present at the meeting, said, "We are firm in our commitment to expand and upgrade medical infrastructure. The Prime Minister laid the foundation for a 100-bed National Institute for Yoga & Naturopathy on October 29, 2024." Further steps have been taken to establish the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research and the All India Institute of Speech and Hearing, he said.

The state has decided to strengthen 7358 urban and rural PHC & sub centres as Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAM) to provide comprehensive primary health care services including yoga and other wellness activities, Majhi said.

"We have made provision to construct a new building for 1,338 Ayushman Arogya Mandirs in the coming year's budget," he added.

Towards a TB Mukt Odisha, a 100-day intensified TB campaign has been initiated through focused interventions in 20 high-priority districts, the chief minister said.

Among others, Odisha Health minister Mukesh Mahaling, Union Health secretary Punya Salila Srivastava and MD of NHM, Aradhana Patnaik attended the inaugural session of the summit.