Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda today interacted with Members of Parliament from Jharkhand and Odisha on the sidelines of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, as part of the Government’s continued engagement with parliamentarians to accelerate efforts towards a TB Mukt Bharat. Smt. Anupriya Patel, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare & Chemicals and Fertilizers, and Shri Sanjay Seth, Union Minister of State for Defence, also participated in the interaction.

The interaction, held under the theme “Parliamentarians Championing a TB Mukt Bharat”, brought together Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs from both States across party lines, reflecting a shared commitment to strengthening the fight against tuberculosis through political leadership, community participation and last-mile delivery of services.

The interaction reviewed progress under the recently concluded 100-Day TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, which was implemented in two phases to accelerate TB elimination efforts. The second phase, launched on March 24, 2026, covered nearly 1.58 lakh high-risk villages and urban wards across the country and concluded in July 2026.

During the campaign, over 2.2 crore vulnerable individuals were screened, more than 7 lakh new TB cases were detected, and 1.97 lakh asymptomatic TB cases were identified—cases that may otherwise have remained undetected. The intensified case-finding approach has demonstrated the importance of proactive screening, particularly among vulnerable and high-risk populations.

India has made significant progress in TB elimination, recording a 21% decline in TB incidence between 2015 and 2024, nearly twice the global pace, along with a 92% treatment success rate, according to the WHO Global TB Report 2025. The intensified focus on early detection, treatment and patient support is central to sustaining this momentum.

Jharkhand and Odisha remain important focus States given the presence of several TB risk factors, including mining and industrial belts, occupational dust exposure, migrant and tribal populations, malnutrition, urban slums, comorbidities, tobacco and alcohol consumption, and informal and labour settlements.

During the 100-Day campaign, Jharkhand notified 16,754 TB patients, including 4,574 asymptomatic cases, while Odisha notified 15,268 patients, including 3,514 asymptomatic cases.

The States adopted targeted strategies to take screening and care closer to vulnerable populations, including through Ayushman Arogya Shivirs in urban slums, construction sites, migrant clusters and mining areas.

The technological expansion of India’s TB programme has further strengthened these efforts. Molecular testing capacity has expanded from a few hundred machines a decade ago to more than 9,000 machines, while nearly 3,000 AI-enabled handheld X-ray units are now supporting active case finding in the field.

Shri Nadda emphasised the importance of sustained political and administrative engagement in achieving the goal of a TB Mukt Bharat. He highlighted innovative case-finding strategies, early diagnosis, patient-centric care and community participation as critical pillars of India’s accelerated TB elimination strategy.

He called upon parliamentarians to play an active role in their constituencies by engaging with District Collectors and health facilities, reviewing the availability and quality of TB services, and supporting efforts for early diagnosis and treatment. He also stressed the need for continued public engagement and social mobilisation to ensure that TB elimination becomes a sustained Jan Andolan.

The participating MPs from Jharkhand and Odisha reaffirmed their commitment to intensifying awareness and stigma-reduction campaigns, promoting Ni-kshay Shivirs for early detection, particularly among vulnerable populations, and strengthening supportive supervision of TB services at district and block levels.

The parliamentarians also committed to mobilising communities and organisations to provide nutritional, psychosocial and livelihood support to people affected by TB, thereby strengthening the patient-centric approach to TB care.

The interaction is part of a series of consultations being held by the Union Health Minister with Members of Parliament from different States to strengthen collective ownership and a whole-of-government approach towards achieving a TB Mukt Bharat.

Shri Nadda expressed confidence that sustained engagement by parliamentarians, State and district administrations, healthcare workers and communities will further accelerate progress towards TB elimination, with the conclusion of the 100-Day campaign serving as a platform for deeper and continued action at the grassroots level.

Health Secretary Smt. Punya Salila Srivastava highlighted the focused efforts being undertaken in Jharkhand and Odisha to address TB among vulnerable and priority populations, including communities in mining and industrial areas, migrant and tribal populations, urban settlements, and groups requiring additional support due to factors such as malnutrition and comorbidities. She emphasised the importance of targeted screening, early detection and accessible patient-centric care to further strengthen TB elimination efforts in both States. She shared that Jharkhand notified 16,754 TB patients during the 100-Day campaign, including 4,574 asymptomatic cases, while Odisha notified 15,268 patients, including 3,514 asymptomatic cases. She emphasised the need for continued intensified screening and targeted interventions among vulnerable populations to sustain the momentum towards TB elimination.

Additional Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Smt. Aradhana Patnaik highlighted the technological foundation underpinning India’s intensified TB case-finding efforts. She noted that India has expanded molecular testing capacity from a few hundred machines a decade ago to more than 9,000 machines, supported by nearly 3,000 AI-enabled handheld X-ray units deployed in the field.

She also presented an overview of Jharkhand and Odisha’s performance across key indicators, including TB notifications, treatment success, preventive therapy coverage and progress against national TB elimination benchmarks.

Smt. Patnaik highlighted that during the 100-Day campaign, both States adopted targeted strategies to take screening and care closer to vulnerable populations, including through Ayushman Arogya Shivirs in urban slums, construction sites, migrant clusters and mining areas. These approaches helped strengthen active case finding and bring TB services closer to communities that may otherwise face barriers in accessing diagnosis and treatment.

The collective commitment of the parliamentarians, State and district administrations, healthcare workers and communities is expected to further strengthen the national resolve towards achieving a TB Mukt Bharat.

 

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HFW/HFM Meets Jharkhand and Odisha MPs/12August2026/1

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