The progress of eliminating TB by the year 2025 was the highlight of the meeting convened by Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare while interacting with State Health Ministers and Principal Secretaries/ Additional Chief Secretaries of all States/UTs in the presence of Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare. The exercise was to review the progress made in the fight against TB through the focussed and concerted efforts of the Centre and the states.

The Union Health Minister suggested the need to share best practices across various states so that they can be emulated by others.

He noted, “We have to encourage people to join us in this mission for eradicating TB. It has to be made a people's initiative.” Mandaviya assured that the Centre is open to all suggestions from the States/UTs on Tuberculosis in its mission to fulfil the Prime Minister’s dream of a TB Free India by 2025. He also encouraged the States and UTs to provide suggestions on the Public Health Management of COVID and other programs and initiatives of the Union Health Ministry.

Dr. Pawar underscored the need to work together by multiplying efforts to eliminate TB in the next three years. She appreciated the various steps taken during the Covid-19 pandemic like bi-directional screening of TB and Covid-19 and the doorstep delivery of TB drugs. She exhorted the entire team of health administers to undertake extensive active case finding and said, “Jan jan ko jagana hain, TB ko bhagana hain.”

All the States/UTs working on the TB program attending the event communicated the impact of their work in the past few years and shared their plans to support the movement to eliminate TB by 2025.    

Rajesh Bhushan, Union Health Secretary, Arti Ahuja, Additional Secretary (Health), Dr. Manohar Agnani, Additional Secretary (Health), and other senior officials of the Ministry were also present at the event.