Not 2030, India sets a target to completely eliminate TB by 2025, pledges PM Modi
New Delhi, March 13: The Prime Minister Narendra Modi today announced that India has set a target for complete elimination of TB by 2025, as against the global target date of 2030.
He expressed confidence that the Delhi End TB Summit would be a landmark event towards the complete elimination of TB. He said every step taken towards the eradication of this disease, is also linked to the betterment of the lives of the poor.
He said TB was declared emergency by WHO 25 years ago and India have come a long way in the fight against Tuberculosis. He said it is important to get rid of Tuberculosis within the stipulated time period.
The Prime Minister said frontline TB physicians and workers are a crucial part of the drive to eliminate TB. He said those patients who overcome this disease also inspire others.PM Modi gave examples of Mission Indradhanush and Swachh Bharat, to show how the Union Government is speeding up progress towards desired targets.
Tuberculosis Free India Campaign will take the activities of National Strategic Plan (NSP) for TB elimination forward in a mission mode. The NSP is backed by a funding of over 12,000 crore rupees over the next three years to ensure that every TB patient has access to quality diagnosis, treatment and support.
In March 2017 the Government of India announced that the new aim with regard to TB in India was the elimination of TB by 2025. India accounts for about a quarter of the global TB burden.Worldwide India is the country with the highest burden of both TB and MDR TB. There are an estimated 79,000 multi-drug resistant TB patients among the notified cases of pulmonary TB each year. In 2016 an estimated 28 lakh cases occurred and 4.5 lakh people died due to TB.