On World Tuberculosis Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the TB-Mukt Panchayat initiative, which aims to raise awareness at the village panchayat level, an important step towards making India TB-free by 2025.

Reiterating that India is committed to making the country TB-free by 2025, the Prime Minister said, “India’s efforts are a new model for the global war on TB.”

While delivering his speech at the One World TB Summit in Varanasi, the Prime Minister emphasised that community involvement is vital in achieving any goal, adding, "People's participation in the fight against TB is India's big contribution."

The prime Minister also launched a host of initiatives, including the official pan-India rollout of a shorter TB Preventive Treatment (TPT), the Family-centric care model for TB, and the released India’s Annual TB Report 2023.

He also laid the foundation stone of the National Centre for Disease Control & High Containment Laboratory and inaugurated the site for the Metropolitan Public Health Surveillance Unit in Varanasi.

Speaking on the occasion Executive Director of Stop TB, Dr Lucica Ditiu, said that the summit is taking place in one of the oldest cities in the world, to discuss a thousand-year-old disease in the world.

Pointing out that India has a very high burden of TB, Dr Ditiu said that the country has come out with the best plan and ambition and implementing the activities in a great way.

Underlining the global welfare embrace of India’s G-20 Presidency, she explained the importance of the theme of One World One Health.

Stressing that India is on the road to ending TB by 2025, she said due to the efforts of countries like India, the number of people who are not getting a diagnosis and treated for TB has gone below three million for the first time in history.

Praising India’s scale in tackling TB and the TB Free India initiative, Dr Ditiu expressed the belief that India will end TB by 2025. She also urged the Prime Minister to lead and inspire other world leaders in this fight against TB.

Underlining that the city of Kashi is like an eternal stream that has witnessed the hard work and efforts of humanity for thousands of years, the Prime Minister said, “No matter the obstacle, Kashi has always proved that new ways are created with ‘Sabka Prayas’ (everyone’s effort).”

Describing the commitment and determination with which India dedicated itself to tackling TB after 2014 as unprecedented, the Prime Minister said that India’s efforts are important as this is a new model for the global war on TB. 

Elaborating on a multi-pronged approach against TB in the last nine years, he listed people’s participation, enhancing nutrition, treatment innovation, tech integration and wellness and prevention such as Fit India, Yoga, and Khelo India type of interventions.

The Prime Minister emphasised the role of the Ni-kshay Mitra Campaign in assisting TB patients, stating that around 10 lakh TB patients have been adopted by citizens, including children aged 10 to 12.

“Financial help to the TB patient under the programme has reached up to one thousand crore rupees,” the Prime Minister said.