Promotion of treatment for TB prevention will prove to be a game changer: Harsh Vardhan

Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan says that promoting treatment for TB prevention can prove to be a game changer. Under the National TB Control Programme, 5 crore patients have been given treatment so far. The government has resolved to make the country TB free by the year 2025, for which continuous efforts are going on.
Dr. Harsh Vardhan was giving information in the meeting related to the global campaign to accelerate TB prevention efforts. In the last one year, despite the COVID crisis, we have worked more vigorously and resiliently to recover damages faster and continue to provide services to TB patients, he said. Identification of TB patients by combining bidirectional screening, detection of active TB cases with surveillance of COVID-19. Along with this, services were made available to the homes of these patients. He informed that the Union Territory of Lakshadweep and Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir have been declared as the country’s first TB free center and district in the year 2020.

He has indicated that more states and districts may become TB free in the coming months. He also said, “Learning from the experience of Kovid, we are implementing a TB program based on the Five-T strategy. These include testing, tracking, tracing, treatment and technology. During this, Dr. Tedros, Director General of the World Health Organization, Health Ministers of various countries, representatives of countries most affected by TB, development partners and representatives of donor agencies were present virtually.