New Delhi: India is the only country in the world to have developed its own mechanism for estimating its tuberculosis (TB) burden as it strives to eliminate the disease by 2025, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Thursday (May 25). Speaking at a Quad Plus side event on tuberculosis during the 76th World Health Assembly in Geneva, he also announced that the country has witnessed a 13 per cent reduction in TB incidence from 2015 to 2022, surpassing the global reduction rate of 10 per cent.
Additionally, TB mortality in India has decreased by 15 per cent during the same period, compared to the global reduction rate of 5.9 per cent.
Addressed side event "TB QUAD+ Together we Fight against TB" in Geneva.
Highlighted various initiatives of ???????? to eliminate TB by 2025.
Also, called for exploring patient-centred & innovative approaches for TB prevention, diagnosis, & treatment to end TB globally by 2030. pic.twitter.com/TPROacRSOV
— Dr Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) May 25, 2023
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India, he said, is the only country in the world to have developed its own mechanism for estimating its TB burden. By employing a mathematical model based on local evidence, India can now determine the true burden of the disease well ahead of the annual World Health Organisation report, Dr Mandaviya said.
In his address, the minister emphasised on the significance of the upcoming UN meeting on tuberculosis scheduled for September as an opportunity to evaluate the collective progress made towards ending TB, a statement here said.
He commended India’s dedication in striving to eliminate TB by 2025, five years ahead of the global Sustainable Development Goal.
Recognising the importance of early diagnosis, treatment, and preventive measures, Dr Mandaviya said,
To identify all missing cases and reach the ‘unreached’, India has taken diagnostics and treatment to the patients at the last mile. To ensure universal health coverage to each and every patient, we have established over 1.5 lakh health and wellness centres which provide TB diagnostics and care to all patients, along with a host of other primary healthcare services. This has been especially beneficial to people residing in hard-to-reach areas of our country, ensuring universal health coverage even in remote areas.
Dr Mandaviya also highlighted India’s successful collaboration with the private sector, enabling quality care for TB patients through their preferred centres, clinics, and doctors. As a result, notifications from the private sector have increased more than sevenfold over the past nine years, the statement said Addressing the issue of stigma associated with TB, Dr Mandaviya highlighted India’s pioneering community engagement mechanism, the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (PMTBMBA).
Launched by President Droupadi Murmu, this initiative aims to support TB patients through their treatment journey. The program, which includes ‘Ni-kshay mitras’ or donors, has garnered substantial support, with nearly 78,000 Ni-kshay mtras committing to assist around a million patients, raising an estimated USD 146 million per year, the statement said.
The Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana initiative provides monthly nutritional support to over 75 lakh people undergoing TB treatment through Direct Benefit Transfer, amounting to more than USD 244 million since its introduction in 2018.
The minister also spoke of the crucial need of developing an effective vaccine in the fight against TB. He added,
To eliminate this disease the world needs to work together as one with greater cooperation to ensure equitable access to the latest diagnostic and treatment options. To achieve the UN high level meeting targets for ending TB by 2030, we must find patient-centric innovative approaches to prevent, diagnose, and treat TB. India is committed to share its learnings with the world and learn from other contexts as well.
Emphasizing on the significance of collaborative research in mitigating and responding effectively to global health crises, Dr. Mandaviya said,
The pandemic has highlighted the need for increased collaboration and synergy in the development of vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics.
He suggested that the BRICS Vaccine Research & Development Center can play a vital role in providing equitable access to safe, efficacious, and affordable vaccines, alongside sustainable vaccine research and development. Furthermore, Dr. Mandaviya proposed the rotatory chairmanship of the steering and scientific committees of the centre to ensure optimal benefits for BRICS nations.
Dr. Mandaviya also extended his heartfelt congratulations to South Africa for prioritizing the agenda of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) through the theme of “Bridging the Gap on Sustainable Health on the road to UHC 2023.”
This theme aligns with the overall theme of BRICS 2023, “Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth, Sustainable Development, and Inclusive Multilateralism,” which aims to catalyse progress towards UHC by fostering global collaborations.
Furthermore, Mandaviya proposed the rotatory chairmanship of the steering and scientific committees of the centre to ensure optimal benefits for BRICS nations.
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(With inputs from ANI and PTI)
NDTV – Dettol have been working towards a clean and healthy India since 2014 via the Banega Swachh India initiative, which is helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. The campaign aims to highlight the inter-dependency of humans and the environment, and of humans on one another with the focus on One Health, One Planet, One Future – Leaving No One Behind. It stresses on the need to take care of, and consider, everyone’s health in India – especially vulnerable communities – the LGBTQ population, indigenous people, India’s different tribes, ethnic and linguistic minorities, people with disabilities, migrants, geographically remote populations, gender and sexual minorities. In wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign will continue to raise awareness on the same along with focussing on the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children, fight malnutrition, mental wellbeing, self care, science and health, adolescent health & gender awareness. Along with the health of people, the campaign has realised the need to also take care of the health of the eco-system. Our environment is fragile due to human activity, which is not only over-exploiting available resources, but also generating immense pollution as a result of using and extracting those resources. The imbalance has also led to immense biodiversity loss that has caused one of the biggest threats to human survival – climate change. It has now been described as a “code red for humanity.” The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene. Banega Swasth India will also be taking forward the dream of Swasth Bharat, the campaign feels that only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and the country can become a Swasth or healthy India.
