Nadda calls for Push towards a TB-Free India
Published: Jun 20, 2026
By TIOLCorplaws News Service
NEW DELHI, JUN 20, 2026: UNION Minister of Health and Family Welfare J.P. Nadda, yesterday chaired a high-level review meeting through video conferencing with Health Ministers and senior officials from States and Union Territories to assess the progress of the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan and chart the way forward towards achieving a TB-free India.
The Union Health Minister emphasized that the second phase of the intensified 100 days TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, scheduled to conclude in the first week of July 2026, represents a critical last-mile effort to identify every missing tuberculosis case and ensure that no vulnerable individual is left behind.
Addressing the participants, Nadda noted that India has made remarkable progress in its fight against tuberculosis. He informed that the country's TB incidence has declined to 187 cases per lakh population in 2024 compared to the figure of 243 cases per lakh in 2014. He further said that TB mortality has also witnessed a significant reduction and stands at a figure of 21 per lakh of the population in 2024 compared to 34 per lakh in 2014. Nadda highlighted that more than 28.1 crore people have already been screened, 20 Lakh people given TB preventive treatment and 5.7 lakh new Nikshay Mitras' have been added so far under the intensified campaigns since December 2024, reflecting the scale and reach of the government's efforts.
"The campaign marks a paradigm shift in our TB control strategy. We are no longer waiting for patients to come to health facilities. We are proactively reaching communities, villages, urban wards and congregate settings to identify vulnerable individuals and detect cases early," Nadda stated.
Nadda stressed that while substantial progress has been achieved, the remaining days of the second phase of the intensive campaign are crucial. Calling for intensified action during the final phase, the Union Health Minister specifically urged States requiring additional focus to undertake district-wise reviews and accelerate screening activities among vulnerable populations and underserved communities.
He further underscored the importance of nutritional support in reducing TB mortality and improving treatment outcomes. He called upon the States to actively engage their Members of Parliament and Members of Legislative Assemblies to review TB elimination efforts in their respective constituencies through Jan Bhagidari and urged State Health Ministers to conduct district-level analyses to identify gaps and ensure timely corrective action.
Concluding the meeting, J.P. Nadda appreciated the efforts of all States, Union Territories, frontline health workers, volunteers, development partners, and community stakeholders in advancing the goals of the Intensified 100-Day TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan. Reaffirming the Government of India's unwavering commitment to eliminating tuberculosis, he stated that the vision of a TB-Mukt Bharat, as envisaged by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, can be achieved only through sustained collective action and whole-of-society participation. He emphasized that the mission will attain its true success only when every State, Union Territory, and district in the country becomes TB Mukt.
During the review, it was informed that since the launch of the second phase of the intensified 100-days TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, so far more than 1.7 lakh Ayushman Arogya Shivirs have been held covering over 1.20 lakh high-risk villages, wards and congregate settings. The campaign has also witnessed unprecedented community participation, with approximately 32 lakh youth from schools and colleges and nearly 1.9 lakh My Bharat volunteers actively supporting awareness and screening activities. The review noted that this broad-based social movement is playing a critical role in advancing the Government's Whole-of-Government and Whole-of-Society approach towards achieving the goal of a TB-Mukt Bharat.
The meeting was informed that since the launch of the Intensified 100-Day TB Mukt Bharat Campaign, X-ray screening has increased 34-fold, driven by the large-scale deployment of handheld X-ray machines across the country. He added that this has significantly strengthened active case-finding efforts. "A dedicated monitoring dashboard integrated with the TB Mukt Bharat App is being used to track progress in real time", Nadda further added.
The review highlighted the launch of the TB Mukt Bharat App, integrated with the AI-powered chatbot 'Khushi', to facilitate citizen engagement and improve access to TB-related information and services. Designed to function even on entry-level smartphones, the platform provides real-time guidance on symptoms, patient entitlements and the nearest diagnostic facilities, thereby promoting timely care-seeking behaviour and strengthening community awareness.
To further strengthen diagnostic and screening capacity, the Ministry has facilitated the creation of additional radiographer positions over and above the existing 13,702 posts. Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava informed the States that additional radiographers would be deployed through the National Health Mission and that requirements related to more handheld X-ray devices, Truenat and CBNAAT machines would be addressed expeditiously.
Reviewing state-wise progress, Health Ministers and senior officials from Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Mizoram, Odisha, Arunachal Pradesh, Delhi, Telangana, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and other States shared updates on screening activities, diagnostic infrastructure, nutritional support and community mobilization efforts.
Several States highlighted the need for additional handheld X-ray machines, CBNAAT and Truenat diagnostic equipment, and radiographers to accelerate screening in difficult-to-reach and vulnerable populations.
States also shared innovative practices. Kerala highlighted its close collaboration with local self-government institutions and the implementation of the "Zero Catastrophic Cost" model in Kannur district, aimed at ensuring that TB patients do not suffer financial hardship during treatment. Mizoram informed that efforts are underway to expand the Nikshay Mitra initiative through support from public sector undertakings under Corporate Social Responsibility programmes.
The Union Health Secretary informed participants that a large number of AI-enabled X-ray solutions would be made available in the near future to further strengthen screening efforts. States requiring support for mobilising Nikshay Mitras were advised to engage with public sector undertakings and other stakeholders.
In addition to the State Health Ministers, Chief Secretaries and Health Secretaries joined virtually through video conferencing from the States/UTs, Senior officials of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare including Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava and Additional Secretary and Mission Director, NHM Aradhana Patnaik and other senior officials participated in the meeting.
