VARANASI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that tuberculosis (TB) will lose and India and the world will win. “While the global target to end TB is 2030, India is working on eliminating it five years earlier, by 2025 itself,” he said, announcing the launch of ‘TB Mukt Panchayat Abhiyan’ and three-month treatment programme for the prevention of the disease instead of a six-month course.
“Today’s new India is known for achieving its goals and has taken this pledge to eliminate TB from the country. The commitment and determination with which India dedicated itself to tackling TB after 2014 is unprecedented. India’s efforts are important, as this is a new model for the global war on TB,” the PM said while addressing the ‘One World TB Summit 2023’ organised at the Rudrakash International Cooperation and Convention Centre in Varanasi on the occasion of the World TB Day.
Expressing his delight that the summit was taking place in Varanasi, he said that he was also a member of Parliament from this city. “The city of Kashi is like an eternal stream that has witnessed the hard work and efforts of humanity for thousands of years. No matter the obstacle, Kashi has always proved that new ways are created with ‘Sabka Prayas’ (everyone’s effort),” he said and expressed the confidence that “Kashi will usher new energy towards global resolutions in the fight against a disease like TB”.
The PM said that as a country, the reflection of India’s ideology can be seen in the spirit of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’. “This ancient ideology is giving an integrated vision and integrated solutions to the advanced world of today. As the G20 president, India chose the theme of ‘One Family, One World, One Future’ based on such beliefs. The theme of G20 is a resolution for the shared future of the entire world,” he said, and added that India is forwarding the vision of ‘One Earth, One Health’ in the world.
Elaborating the multi-pronged approach against TB in the past nine years, Modi listed people’s participation, enhancing nutrition, treatment innovation, tech integration and wellness and prevention such as Fit India, Yoga, and Khelo India type of interventions. Regarding people’s participation, the PM spoke about the Nikshay Mitra Campaign in helping TB patients.
He informed the gathering that about 10 lakh TB patients have been adopted by citizens and even children aged 10-12 years have come forward in this endeavour. “Financial help to the TB patient under the programme has reached up to Rs. 1,000 crore,” he said while terming the movement ‘inspirational’, and expressed happiness that even Pravasi Indians (NRIs) are participating in this.
Noting the major challenge of nutrition for TB patients, the PM highlighted the contributions of Nikshay Mitra Campaign in helping TB patients. He said that the government had announced a Direct Benefit Transfer scheme for TB patients in 2018 and as a result, approximately Rs 2,000 crore have been directly transferred into their bank accounts for their treatment, and about 75 lakh TB patients have benefitted from this. “Nikshay Mitras have now become a new source of energy for all TB patients,” he added.
Emphasising that it was extremely difficult to arrive at new solutions by practising outdated ways, the PM said that the government had worked with new strategies so that TB patients did not fall out of their treatment. He gave examples of initiating the Ayushman Bharat Scheme for the screening and treatment of TB, increasing the number of testing labs in the country and formulating region-specific work policies by targeting cities where the number of TB patients is high.
On this occasion, he also shared a story related to Mahatma Gandhi. He said, “Once Mahatma Gandhi was called to inaugurate a leprosy hospital in Ahmedabad, but he declined, saying that ‘I would have been happy if you had called me to lock that leprosy hospital’.
“In 2007, when I was the chief minister, that hospital was locked and Gandhiji’s dream was fulfilled,” Modi pointed out while appealing to the people to raise awareness of TB patients as many tended to hide this disease from the public.
“Today’s new India is known for achieving its goals and has taken this pledge to eliminate TB from the country. The commitment and determination with which India dedicated itself to tackling TB after 2014 is unprecedented. India’s efforts are important, as this is a new model for the global war on TB,” the PM said while addressing the ‘One World TB Summit 2023’ organised at the Rudrakash International Cooperation and Convention Centre in Varanasi on the occasion of the World TB Day.
Expressing his delight that the summit was taking place in Varanasi, he said that he was also a member of Parliament from this city. “The city of Kashi is like an eternal stream that has witnessed the hard work and efforts of humanity for thousands of years. No matter the obstacle, Kashi has always proved that new ways are created with ‘Sabka Prayas’ (everyone’s effort),” he said and expressed the confidence that “Kashi will usher new energy towards global resolutions in the fight against a disease like TB”.
The PM said that as a country, the reflection of India’s ideology can be seen in the spirit of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’. “This ancient ideology is giving an integrated vision and integrated solutions to the advanced world of today. As the G20 president, India chose the theme of ‘One Family, One World, One Future’ based on such beliefs. The theme of G20 is a resolution for the shared future of the entire world,” he said, and added that India is forwarding the vision of ‘One Earth, One Health’ in the world.
Elaborating the multi-pronged approach against TB in the past nine years, Modi listed people’s participation, enhancing nutrition, treatment innovation, tech integration and wellness and prevention such as Fit India, Yoga, and Khelo India type of interventions. Regarding people’s participation, the PM spoke about the Nikshay Mitra Campaign in helping TB patients.
He informed the gathering that about 10 lakh TB patients have been adopted by citizens and even children aged 10-12 years have come forward in this endeavour. “Financial help to the TB patient under the programme has reached up to Rs. 1,000 crore,” he said while terming the movement ‘inspirational’, and expressed happiness that even Pravasi Indians (NRIs) are participating in this.
Noting the major challenge of nutrition for TB patients, the PM highlighted the contributions of Nikshay Mitra Campaign in helping TB patients. He said that the government had announced a Direct Benefit Transfer scheme for TB patients in 2018 and as a result, approximately Rs 2,000 crore have been directly transferred into their bank accounts for their treatment, and about 75 lakh TB patients have benefitted from this. “Nikshay Mitras have now become a new source of energy for all TB patients,” he added.
Emphasising that it was extremely difficult to arrive at new solutions by practising outdated ways, the PM said that the government had worked with new strategies so that TB patients did not fall out of their treatment. He gave examples of initiating the Ayushman Bharat Scheme for the screening and treatment of TB, increasing the number of testing labs in the country and formulating region-specific work policies by targeting cities where the number of TB patients is high.
On this occasion, he also shared a story related to Mahatma Gandhi. He said, “Once Mahatma Gandhi was called to inaugurate a leprosy hospital in Ahmedabad, but he declined, saying that ‘I would have been happy if you had called me to lock that leprosy hospital’.
“In 2007, when I was the chief minister, that hospital was locked and Gandhiji’s dream was fulfilled,” Modi pointed out while appealing to the people to raise awareness of TB patients as many tended to hide this disease from the public.
