President Droupadi Murmu will virtually launch the ‘Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan’ on September 9 to reinvigorate the mission of tuberculosis elimination from the country by 2025. The abhiyaan is a step towards garnering community support towards a patient-centric health system, an official statement issued by the health ministry said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave the clarion call to end TB in the country five years ahead of SDG (Sustainable Development Goal) target of 2030 at the Delhi End TB Summit in March 2018.
President Murmu will also launch the Ni-kshay Mitra initiative which forms a vital component of the campaign. The Ni-kshay Mitra portal provides a platform for donors to provide various forms of support to those undergoing TB treatment.
The three pronged support includes nutritional, additional diagnostic, and vocational support. The donors, called Ni-kshay Mitras, could be a wide range of stakeholders from elected representatives, political parties, to corporates, NGOs, and individuals.
The launch event aims to highlight the need for a societal approach that brings together people from all backgrounds into a Jan Andolan (public movement) to achieve the ambitious target of eliminating TB from the country by 2025.
The abhiyaan will be launched in presence of Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar, Union Ministers, Governors and Lt. Governors and other dignitaries. The virtual event will be attended by representatives from state and district health administration, corporates, industries, civil society and NGOs as the country reiterates the commitment towards TB elimination by 2025.
The Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan has been envisioned to bring together all community stakeholders to support those on TB treatment and accelerate the country's progress towards TB elimination, the statement said.
