On September 25, 2019, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare (HFW) Dr Harsh Vardhan launched ‘TB Harega Desh Jeetega’ campaign & National TB Prevalence Survey 2019 in New Delhi, on the sidelines of the India’ s aim of eradication of Tuberculosis (TB) by 2025, ahead of the United Nations (UN) deadline of 2030 in its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). TB is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) bacteria which affects the lungs.
Key Points:
i.About the campaign: The 3 pillars of the campaign are clinical approach, public health component and active community participation and the patients will receive treatment including the private sector, free-of-cost with high quality TB care.
ii. Other initiatives: He flagged off a van for the National TB Prevalence Survey 2019 (25 vans will be part of the survey for 6 months) and unveiled TB India Report (2019), the Work Place Policy Framework for TB, Operational Guideline for Employer Led Model on TB, Training module for transforming TB survivor to TB champion, and Elected Representative’s Handbook on TB and an all oral regimen kit for multi-drug resistant TB patients.
iii. National TB Report 2019: 21.5 lakh TB cases were reported in 2018 compared to 18 lakhs in 2017 (increase of 17%). Notifications from private sector health care providers stood at 5.4 lakhs, an increase of 40%, contributing to 25% of all TB notifications.
iv. Tie-up: A partnership with the World Bank was also announced. The World Bank will provide $400 million credit for accelerating TB response in 9 states through private sector engagement and other critical interventions. Already, govt has tied up with Global Fund to launch JEET (Joint Effort for Elimination of TB).
v. Awards: Among states with a large population (>50 lakhs), Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat were awarded as best performers in tackling TB. Among medium population (less than 50 lakhs) states, Tripura & Sikkim; among Union Territories (UT), Puducherry and Daman and Diu were awarded as best performers.
vi. Measures taken to eliminate TB: It also launched the Nikshay Poshan Yojana, a direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme to provide nutritional support to TB patients where patients receive Rs. 500 per month for the entire duration of treatment. Till now, a total amount of Rs. 427 crore has been paid to over 26 lakhs beneficiaries.
viii. Other members present during the launch: Mr Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Minister of State (HFW), Dr Vinod K Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India); Smt. Preeti Sudan, Secretary (HFW); Dr Balram Bhargava, Director General of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) & Secretary Department of Health Research (DHR); Shri Sanjeeva Kumar, Special Secretary (HFW); Dr Sanjay Tyagi, Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS); Dr Henk Bekedam, World Health Organization (WHO) Representative to India, Mr. Jorge Coarasa, Program Leader, World Bank and representatives of other UN organisations.
About Ministry of Health and Family Welfare:
♦ Formed: 1976
♦ Constituency of Dr Harsh Vardhan: Chandni Chowk, New Delhi
