PM Modi launches several initiatives to eliminate tuberculosis

VARANASI: India’s ideology of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbkam” is giving the modern world an integrated vision and solutions, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday as he launched a series of initiatives to eliminate tuberculosis.

Addressing the ‘One World TB Summit’ on World TB Day, Modi said the country is working to eliminate tuberculosis by 2025 as against the global target of 2030.

“India’s image reflects in its ideology of ‘Vasudev Kutumbkam’ (whole world one family). This old thought is giving the modern world an integrated vision and solutions,” he said.

As G20 president, India chose the theme of ‘One Family, One World, One Future’ based on such beliefs, Modi said.

India is forwarding the vision of ‘One Earth, One Health’ in the world, he said while underlining that India is realising the resolutions of global good with the ‘One World TB Summit’.

The prime minister asserted that the thought and approach with which India worked against tuberculosis after 2014 is “incredible”.

“This effort of India should be known to the whole world today because this is a new model in the global fight against TB.

“In nine years, India has united in this fight against TB on many fronts such as public participation, special campaigns for nutrition, new strategies for treatment, intensive use of technology and promoting good health though campaigns like Khelo India and Yoga,” he said.

Another major resolution of India is to eliminate tuberculosis by 2025 as against the global target of 2030, Modi said.

Referring to the capacity and health infrastructure enhancement during the Covid pandemic, Modi underlined the high use of trace, test, track, treat and technology in the fight against the disease.

There is massive global potential in this local approach of India, said the prime minister.

Noting that 80 per cent of tuberculosis medicines are made in India, he said, “I would like that more and more countries get the benefit of all such campaigns, innovations and modern technology of India.”

Modi said the country launched a unique campaign to fight the disease.

“We had called upon the people of the country to make ‘Ni-kshay Mitra’ to join the campaign of TB-free India. After the campaign, 10 lakh TB patients have been adopted by the common citizens. You would be surprised to know that in our country even 10-12 year old children are taking forward the fight against TB by becoming Ni-kshay Mitra,” he said.

“There are many such children who broke their piggy banks and adopted TB patients. The financial support of these Ni-kshay friends for TB patients has reached above one thousand crore rupees,” he said, adding Indians living abroad have also become a part of this effort.

The prime minister said since 2018, about INR 2,000 crore has been sent directly to the bank accounts of tuberculosis patients and about 75 lakh patients have benefited from it.

“It is difficult to get new results by following the old approach. Started working on a new strategy to ensure that no TB patient is left out of treatment. For testing TB patients, the number of labs has been increased and special plans are made for those where TB patients are more,” he said.

The prime minister said it is a matter of pride that the summit is being organised in Varanasi, which he represents in the Lok Sabha.

No matter the obstacle, Kashi has always proved that new ways are created with ‘Sabka Prayas (everyone’s effort)’, he said while expressing confidence that Kashi will usher new energy towards global resolutions in the fight against a disease like tuberculosis.

The prime minister also awarded select states, Union Territories and districts for their progress towards ending tuberculosis.

The recipients of the awards were Karnataka and Jammu and Kashmir at the state and Union Territory levels and the Nilgiris, Pulwama and Anantnag at the district level.

He also said the government is starting a three-months programme for the prevention of tuberculosis instead of a six-month course.

Earlier, patients had to take medicines every day for six months but now, in the new system, they will have to take medicine only once a week.

Modi said Gandhiji told the people of Gujarat that he would be happy when he sees a lock hanging on the doors of the leprosy hospital.

“The leprosy hospital was shut down in 2007 when I was the chief minister of Gujarat,” he said.

The prime minister also launched several initiatives, including TB-free panchayats, pan-India rollout of a shorter TB Preventive Treatment (TPT) and a family-centric care model for tuberculosis.

Modi also released India’s Annual TB Report for 2023.

The prime minister laid the foundation stone of the National Centre for Disease Control and High Containment (BSL) Laboratory here and unveiled the site for Metropolitan Public Health Surveillance Unit (MSU).