President to launch “Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan”

Context

President Droupadi Murmu has launched the `Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan’ which aims at working towards TB elimination from the country by 2025.

Background

India is committed to eliminating tuberculosis from the country by 2025, five years ahead of the global target by the World Health Organisation (WHO)e. 2030.
National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme is aligned with the ambitious goal; the programme has been renamed from the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) to National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP).

About

About the Abhiyaan

The virtual event is expected to be attended by the representatives from the State & district health administration, corporates, industries, civil society and NGOs.
Objective:
Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan’ has been envisioned to bring together all community stakeholders to support those on TB treatment and accelerate the country’s progress towards TB elimination.
Need of the initiative:
It stated that 79,144 deaths due to tuberculosis were reported in 2019, which is much lower than the WHO estimate of 4.4 lakh fatalities. Hence, is important to eliminate Tuberculosis (TB).
Components of the scheme:
The Ni-kshay Mitra initiative will also be launched, which forms a vital component of the `Abhiyaan’.
The Ni-kshay Mitra portal provides a platform for donors to provide various forms of support to those undergoing TB treatment.
The three-pronged support includes nutritional, additional diagnostic and vocational support.
The donors, called Ni-kshay Mitras who can be a wide range of stakeholders from elected representatives, political parties, to corporates, NGOs, and individuals.

Tuberculosis (TB)

Tuberculosis (TB) is a bacterial infection spread through inhaling tiny droplets from the coughs or sneezes of an infected person.
It mainly affects the lungs, but it can affect any part of the body, including the tummy (abdomen), glands, bones and nervous system.
Vaccination for TB:
The BCG vaccine offers protection against TB, and is recommended on the NHS for babies, children and adults under the age of 35 who are considered to be at risk of catching TB.
The BCG vaccine is not routinely given to anyone over the age of 35 as there's no evidence that it works for people in this age group.

Other initiatives

The Nikshay Ecosystem:It is the National TB information system which is a one-stop solution to manage information of patients and monitor program activity and performance throughout the country.
Nikshay Poshan Yojana (NPY):This scheme is aimed at providing financial support to TB patients for their nutrition.
TB Harega Desh Jeetega Campaign:Launched In September 2019 it is showcasing the highest level of commitment for the elimination of TB.
The Saksham Project:It is a project of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) that has been providing psycho-social counselling to DR-TB patients.