World TB Day 2025 Summit: JP Nadda reiterates govt’s commitment to TB free India

New Delhi: “Our TB elimination strategy is based on ‘whole of the society’ and ‘whole of the government’ approach”. This was stated by Jagat Prakash Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare during his address to the World TB Day 2025 summit, in New Delhi.

The theme for this year’s World TB Day summit was “Yes! We Can End TB: Commit, Invest, Deliver”.

The Union Minister reaffirmed India’s unwavering commitment to achieving a TB-Mukt Bharat in his address. While presiding over the Summit, he lauded the 100 Days Intensified TB Elimination campaign’s strategy to deploy cutting-edge technologies, including handheld X-ray units and upfront Nucleic Acid Amplification Testing (NAAT) some of which were deployed using mobile vans (Nikshay Vahans). This helped the campaign shatter geographical barriers and brought vital screening and diagnostic services to remote and underserved areas. He mentioned that over 13.46 lakh Nikshay Shivirs, or community screening and awareness camps were organised in the districts bringing essential TB services directly to the doorsteps of crores of people.

The Union Minister noted that TB treatment coverage in India has increased from 59% to 85%. He informed that 12.97 crore people were screened for TB with 7.19 lakh new cases detected. Among the notified TB cases, approximately 2.85 lakh were asymptomatic cases who might have otherwise gone undetected without the stratified screening strategy of the campaign. More than 5,000 MLAs and 10,000 Gram Panchayats participated in the campaign. Citing these successes, he announced the Ministry’s plans to scale the campaign nationwide. Stating that TB is not over yet, he announced further scaling up of the TB elimination campaign to cover all districts in India.

Nadda highlighted that 22 line ministries supported the 100-days campaign and more than 30,000 elected representatives were mobilized for the common cause, demonstrating that the fight against TB is a collective mission. He informed that in just 100 days, over 1,05,181 new Ni-kshay Mitras have registered and distributed over 3,06,368 food baskets among TB patients and their family members.

He noted that during the recently concluded 100-Day Intensified TB Elimination Campaign, modern technology was leveraged to improve case detection, reduce diagnostic delays, and ensure timely treatment initiation, particularly for vulnerable populations. “The campaign strategically screened vulnerable populations, including asymptomatic individuals, household contacts of TB patients, those with a history of TB, undernourished individuals, and those with chronic comorbidities such as diabetes and HIV”.

Nadda stated that India is one of the top global funders on TB research and congratulated ICMR for their significant research on TB. He highlighted some innovations like RT-PCR machines used during the Covid pandemic which is adapted for use in TB screening. Similarly, indigenous diagnostic kits developed by ICMR not only reduce the cost for TB detection but also improve efficiency by conducting 32 tests in one go. “Hand held x-ray machines with AI support have also played a huge role in detecting asymptomatic TB”, he added.

He concluded his address by thanking the invaluable support and involvement of elected representatives and community leaders, MPs, MLAs, Gram Pradhans and local leaders which was instrumental in raising awareness and mobilizing communities against this disease. “Their dedication has fostered a sense of ownership and accountability in the community, one of the many unique strategies India has adopted to fight TB”, he stated.

Punya Salila Srivastava, Union Health Secretary said, “World TB Day is a day where we remind ourselves that this disease still exists while we can eliminate it”. She further stated that this is a day to chart out our task ahead. “All our stakeholders have put in a lot of effort towards the goal of eliminating TB and this should continue until we achieve the goal of TB Mukt Bharat”, she added.

A digital Coffee Table Book on TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, capturing and showcasing the implementation of the Abhiyaan through photos from the field, was unveiled on the occasion. The Union Health Minister also launched a ‘Guidance Document on Differentiated TB Care’ to ensure timely and effective care for high-risk patients. This document provides guidelines for triaging high-risk patients (for instance, those suffering from severe undernutrition or respiratory insufficiency) at diagnosis and refers to a comprehensive treatment plan for them.

State/UTs were awarded for the exemplary performance during the 100 Days intensified TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan and also for their performance in the TB Mukt Gram Panchyat Initiative.

Dr Rajiv Bahl, Secretary, Department of Health Research and DG, ICMR; Dr Atul Goel, Director General of Health Services (DGHS); Aradhana Patnaik, Additional Secretary and Mission Director, National Health Mission; and senior officials of the Union Health Ministry were present on the occasion. The event also witnessed participation from NTEP Staff from State and Districts, TB Champions, District Magistrates, District Collectors, MD NHMs, Medical Institutions, Civil society, WHO Consultants and development partners.