As India presses the pedal on a mission to eradicate tuberculosis, public private partnership (PPP) with integrated strategy will be key to achieve ‘TB Mukt Bharat’, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Jitendra Singh, who is in charge of several key portfolios, said today. President Droupadi Murmu last year launched the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, a mass movement with an aim to eradicate TB with a stiff deadline of 2025.

Several private healthcare majors have shown interest in partnering the government in this mission.

The Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan has been envisioned to bring together all community stakeholders to support those on TB treatment and accelerate the country’s progress towards TB elimination.

Singh said this while flagging off SMVD Narayana Healthcare TB Mukt Express at Udhampur with the slogan ‘Chalo Chale TB Ko Harane’ said that India’s efforts to eradicate TB by 2025 is a role model for the world and urged citizens to work collectively towards TB elimination in the true spirit of Jan Bhagidari or mass public participation.

Singh said that strategies such as private sector engagement, active case finding, decentralization of services through Health and Wellness Centres, community engagement and Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana have transformed India’s TB management efforts and made it patient centric.

The minister also distributed kits among TB patients adopted by him in his parliamentary constituency to take care of their daily needs.

About 40 per cent of Indians are infected with the disease—many of them whom have latent TB rather than TB disease.

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