Taking a cue from the Make in India initiative, indigenous molecular tests have been field-tested and introduced. We have been able to not only reduce the time taken for TB diagnosis at district and block levels but have drastically reduced the costs of testing and treatment.
J.P. Nadda
Dec 7, 2024 02:00 IST First published on: Dec 7, 2024 at 02:00 IST
Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a clarion call for the elimination of TB from the country. Under his leadership, a new model of TB care was adopted and India pioneered several innovative approaches over the last few years to bring a paradigm shift in TB prevention, diagnosis and treatment. Findings from the WHO’s Global TB Report 2024 acknowledged the efficacy of the approach. It noted a 17.7 per cent decline in TB incidence in India from 2015 to 2023 — double the rate of decline observed globally. Not just that, the country diagnosed 25.1 lakh patients, marking a significant rise in treatment coverage from 59 per cent in 2015 to 85 per cent in 2023.
On December 7, inspired by the PM’s vision, India will witness yet another transformative push in its TB elimination strategy. We are launching a 100-day campaign in 347 high TB burden districts across the country to accelerate our response to fight TB. Through this initiative, we will reinforce our resolve to identify every TB patient early and proactively reach out to vulnerable populations with timely and quality treatment. In the true spirit of Jan Bhagidari, all of us — elected representatives, health practitioners, civil society, corporations, and communities — must collaborate to make this campaign a grand success.
To complement expanded diagnostic efforts and to support a complete recovery of TB patients, India conceptualised and operationalised a nutritional support scheme, Nikshay Poshan Yojana (NPY). Since April 2018, we have disbursed Rs 3,295 crore to 1.16 crore beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer under NPY. In what is a major reinforcement of India’s commitment to TB elimination, the monthly support under the scheme has been doubled from Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 per month from November 2024.
The Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (PMTBMBA) has not only helped address the challenge of nutrition but also enhanced community mobilisation. It has united various community stakeholders creating a mass movement to increase awareness and to provide nutritional, vocational, and psychological support to TB patients. This government-citizen symphony anchored in the spirit of Jan Bhagidari has inspired 1.75 lakh Nikshay Mitras to provide 21 lakh food baskets to patients across the country.
Over the years, India has introduced newer drugs such as Bedaquiline and Delamanid to improve treatment success rates. Considering the challenges in treatment completion for patients with drug-resistant variants, we have allowed a new shorter regimen, BpaLM, which is more effective than the existing regimens. While we have a shorter 9–11-month regimen available alongside the conventional 19–20-month regimen, with the BPaLM regimen, patients will now complete treatment in just six months!
We have consistently strived to ensure that advanced tools are available at the grassroots levels to find and treat all patients at the earliest. To enable this, we introduced more efficient and accurate diagnostic tools — molecular tests. From a few hundred machines in 2014-15, we now have 8,293 molecular diagnostic machines available in all districts.
In fact, taking a cue from the Make in India initiative, indigenous molecular tests have been field-tested and introduced. We have been able to not only reduce the time taken for TB diagnosis at district and block levels but have drastically reduced the costs of testing and treatment. Our indigenous molecular tests have received endorsement by the WHO. These initiatives have positioned India as a true leader in global TB response.
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We must also take great pride in the fact that the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has consistently been among the top public funders of TB research worldwide since 2018. We will continue making investments to quickly develop and roll out newer tools, including more efficient PoC diagnostics.
India’s journey toward TB elimination is a testament to its leadership. From pioneering research that has led to advanced diagnostics and treatments, to the introduction of universal social support provisions, India stands at the forefront of the global TB response. The need of the hour is to ensure a massive Jan Bhagidari in the identification, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of TB. The intensified 100-day campaign is another testament to our collective commitment to eliminate TB. I am confident that under the PM’s leadership and with the participation of all stakeholders, we will defeat this great enemy of humanity and create a healthier future for all.
The writer is Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare
