JP Nadda chairs high-level meet with 8 States/UTs to review progress made on TB

New Delhi [India], May 29 : Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Jagat Prakash Nadda, held a high-level meeting with Health Ministers of 8 States and Union Territories to review the progress made on TB and Measles-Rubella elimination and utilisation of funds under PM-ABHIM (Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission) and 15th Finance Commission, according to an official statement.

Union Minister Nadda complimented states for their enthusiastic participation during the 100-day Intensified TB-Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan where, according to the statement, 12.97 crore people were screened for TB, with over 7.19 lakh TB patients notified across India, including 2.85 lakh patients who were asymptomatic, with the campaign beind extended to all districts across the country.
He took cognisance on key metrics like presumptive TB case examination, NAAT coverage, treatment success and uptake of nutrition support schemes for TB patients, and urged state health ministers to review these key metrics on a regular basis.
The statement further read that under the TB-Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, states are playing a proactive role in screening vulnerable populations for TB, irrespective of whether they present symptoms, using portable chest x-ray machines and patients who are TB-suggestive are tested using a NAAT test (Nucleic acid amplification test).
Nadda called for greater Jan Bhagidari to bring about impactful and lasting change in the fight against TB. He urged states/UTs to integrally involve elected representatives from Panchayati Raj Institutions, Municipal Corporations etc in the TB-Mukt Bharat Abhiyan.
He emphasized the urgent need to reduce both the incidence and mortality rates of TB through early and comprehensive screening. "The national goal is to bring down the TB incidence rate to 47 cases per lakh population and the mortality rate to below 3 per lakh population," Nadda said according to the statement.
To achieve these targets, the Minister called on states to re-strategize their TB campaigns, placing a sharper focus on vulnerable and high-risk communities. He also stressed the importance of expanding access to rapid diagnostic tools, particularly NAAT testing.
In addition, states were encouraged to promote greater uptake of flagship nutritional support initiatives for TB patients and their families, such as the Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana and the Ni-kshay Mitra initiative. The Union Minister noted that the participation and benefits under these schemes remain suboptimal in several regions and must be significantly improved to ensure holistic care and support for those affected.
Nadda commended states on their efforts towards completely eliminating measles-rubella. However, since some districts in many states are still yet to be free of measles-rubella, he underlined the importance of enhancing immunisation to achieve the goal of elimination of measles-rubella.
Putting the focus on health infrastructure, Nadda highlighted that health infrastructure under the PM-ABHIM and 15th Finance Commission needs to be implemented under war footing to ensure that the funds that have been commissioned are spent efficiently as only one year is left for their utilisation.
The statement mentioned that the states represented their efforts and achievements in the programmes that were discussed. They also shared their best practices.
Health Ministers of various states who joined the meeting included N Rangasamy, Puducherry Chief Minister; Brajesh Mishra, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister; Dhani Ram Shandil, Himachal Pradesh Health Minister; Biyuram Wahge, Arunachal Pradesh Health Minister; Vishwajit Pratapsingh Rane, Goa Health Minister; Gajendra Singh Khimsar, Rajasthan Health Minister; Balbir Singh, Punjab Health Minister, and Irfan Ansari, Jharkhand Health Minister.
Punya Salila Srivastava, Union Health Secretary and senior officials of the Union Health Ministry were also present at the meeting.