‘TB Harega Desh Jeetega’: A campaign to eliminate tuberculosis from India

‘TB Harega Desh Jeetega’: Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Harsh Vardhan has recently launched a new ‘TB Harega Desh Jeetega Campaign’. A National TB prevalence Survey was also launched by the minister. ‘TB Harega Desh Jeetega Campaign’ campaign has been launched with an aim to eliminate tuberculosis from India.

Apart from that, Dr. Harsh Vardhan also released Operational Guideline for Employer Led Model on TB, the Work Place Policy Framework for TB and elected Representative’s Handbook on TB. He also launched 25 National TB Prevalence Survey vans to carry out a survey across the country in the next six months. This survey will help the government to collect a national-level data about the latest situation of TB in the country.

About ‘TB Harega Desh Jeetega’ Campaign 
• The campaign has three pillars – clinical approach, public health component and active community participation.
• There are some other supporting aspects of the campaign including – patient support, private sector engagement, political and administrative commitment at all levels.
• The government will ensure that all patients, at private or public hospitals, receive free-of-cost and high-quality TB care.
• United Nations has marked 2030 as a global target to eliminate TB worldwide but the Government of India has made 2025 as its target to eliminate tuberculosis from the country.

National TB Report 2019
• A ‘TB India Report (2019)’ was also released by the Dr. Harsh Vardhan. According to the report, 21.5 lakh TB cases were reported in 2018 to the government.
• In 2017 the number of TB cases was 18 lakhs and in 2019 it has been increased to 17% in one year.
• Notifications from private-sector health care providers reached 5.4 lakhs, an increase of 40%, contributing to 25% of all TB notifications.
• Under the scheme, Nikshay Poshan Yojana, a total amount of Rs. 427crore has been paid to over 26 lakhs beneficiaries through direct transfers to their bank accounts.

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