Union Health Minister asks MPs to intensify awareness, early detection and district-level monitoring as India targets TB elimination by 2030.
Union Health Minister JP Nadda on Thursday urged Members of Parliament from West Bengal to lead a people-centric movement against Tuberculosis (TB), stressing the need for stronger community participation, early detection and district-level monitoring to help India achieve its goal of eliminating TB by 2030.
Nadda chaired the meeting, “Parliamentarians Championing a TB-Mukt Bharat,” with Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs from West Bengal on the sidelines of the Monsoon Session of Parliament. Union Minister of State for Education and Development of North Eastern Region, Dr Sukanta Majumdar, also attended the meeting.
The meeting brought together MPs across party lines to strengthen collective efforts towards a TB-Mukt Bharat through greater political leadership and public participation. It was part of a nationwide series of consultations chaired by the Union Health Minister with parliamentarians from states including Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu.
Nadda informed the members that similar interactions have been held with MPs from across the country as part of the Centre’s whole-of-government approach to accelerate TB elimination.
The meeting reviewed the progress of the 100-Day TB-Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, implemented in two phases. The first phase, launched on December 7, 2024, initially covered 347 high-priority districts before being expanded nationwide and concluded on March 24, 2025. The second phase, launched on March 24, is targeting nearly 1.58 lakh high-risk villages and urban wards across the country.
Describing the campaign as a defining moment in India’s fight against tuberculosis, Nadda said it is driven by innovation, compassion and strong political commitment. He reiterated that the objective of the campaign is to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal of eliminating TB by 2030.
Highlighting India’s progress, Nadda cited the WHO Global TB Report 2025, stating that India recorded a 21% decline in TB incidence between 2015 and 2024, compared to the global average decline of 12%. He also noted that India’s TB treatment coverage has reached 92%, significantly higher than the global average of 78%.
The Union Minister said TB-Mukt Bharat is not merely a government programme but a nationwide people’s movement requiring active participation from elected representatives, governments, civil society and local communities.
Calling upon MPs to take a leadership role in their constituencies, Nadda urged them to regularly review TB elimination efforts with district collectors, district magistrates and health officials. He also asked them to intensify awareness campaigns, reduce social stigma and promote early diagnosis through Ni-kshay Shivirs and targeted screening of high-risk villages, vulnerable populations and asymptomatic TB cases.
He further urged MPs to strengthen monitoring of TB programme implementation through visits to district and block-level health facilities and encourage community participation by mobilising Ni-kshay Mitras and local organisations to provide nutritional, psychosocial and livelihood support to TB patients. He also called for organising Ayushman Arogya Shivirs to improve screening among high-risk populations.
Nadda highlighted the importance of mandatory notification of TB cases diagnosed in the private sector and the availability of free government-supplied medicines to reduce patients’ financial burden. He described proactive detection of asymptomatic TB as a transformative step in India’s TB elimination strategy.
The Minister also highlighted the use of indigenous TruNat molecular diagnostic machines for detecting Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB), AI-enabled handheld X-ray machines for improving access to diagnosis in remote areas, and portable X-ray units supported through PM CARES to expand doorstep diagnostic services.
He added that the government has strengthened patient-centric initiatives by increasing financial assistance under the Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana to Rs 1,000 per month for every TB patient, introducing shorter and advanced treatment regimens, and mobilising more than five lakh Ni-kshay Mitras across the country to provide sustained nutritional and social support to TB patients.
