Union Health Minister Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda convened a landmark meeting, “Parliamentarians Championing a TB Mukt Bharat”, with Members of Parliament (MPs) from Maharashtra on the sidelines of the Winter Session of Parliament. The session, held at the Press Conference Hall, New Maharashtra Sadan, brought together Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs to reinforce their leadership in India’s historic fight against tuberculosis.
Union MoS (Independent) Ministry of Ayush & Union MoS in the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare Shri Prataprao Jadhav also participated in the meeting. Shri Nadda lauded India’s progress in TB elimination, noting that the country achieved a 21% reduction in TB incidence between 2015 and 2024 nearly double the global rate.
With a 90% treatment success rate, India has surpassed the worldwide average of 88%, as highlighted in the WHO Global TB Report 2025. He praised Maharashtra for being a frontrunner in the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan and reaffirmed the critical role of elected representatives in accelerating progress toward a healthier future.
Union Health Minister while interacting with Members of Parliament from Maharashtra, highlighted the significant advancements India has made in accelerating TB detection and care. He noted that AI-enabled hand-held X-ray machines and Truenat have made TB screening faster, more accurate, and more accessible.
Emphasising focused outreach, he shared that vulnerable populations are now being proactively targeted. Shri Nadda also underscored the pivotal role of Nikshay Mitras, who act as partners in the TB-Mukt Bharat campaign. He added that the government’s direct benefit transfer is helping patients meet their daily nutritional and other essential needs.
The minister reiterated that Jan Bhagidari people’s participation remains at the heart of India’s mission to eliminate TB. Parliamentarians from Maharashtra pledged to spearhead awareness campaigns and Ni-kshay Shivirs in their constituencies to reduce stigma and enable early detection, especially among vulnerable groups.
They agreed to provide enhanced supportive supervision to local TB programs to ensure quality service delivery and mobilise communities through Jan Andolan initiatives, extending nutritional, psychosocial, and vocational support to TB patients. Union Health Secretary Smt. Punya Salila Srivastava highlighted policy innovations such as community screening and nutrition-focused interventions to improve treatment outcomes.
Additional Secretary and Mission Director, National Health Mission, Smt. Aradhana Patnaik, apprised MPs of Maharashtra’s progress in notifications, treatment success, and preventive measures, aligning with national TB elimination targets.
This meeting served as a crucial follow-up to last year’s sensitisation session for parliamentarians. Since then, the flagship TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan has achieved significant milestones through strategies such as:
• Community-based screening via Ni-kshay Vahans equipped with handheld X-ray units.
• Upfront NAAT testing to reach high-risk individuals, including asymptomatic cases.
• Political leadership engagement, with MPs inaugurating Ni-kshay Shivirs and Vahans, enrolling as Ni-kshay Mitras, and fostering community participation.
Guided by the vision of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, Maharashtra’s parliamentarians reaffirmed their commitment to accelerate progress toward a TB-free India, ensuring that political will translates into transformative action at the grassroots.