Lok Sabha Question No. 160 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-02-02
Subject: Fight against Tuberculosis
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Vivek Narayan Shejwalkar, Sunil Baburao Mendhe

## GOVERNMENTOFINDIA MINISTRYOF HEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 160 TO BE ANSWERED ON 2 nd FEBRUARY 2024

## FIGHTAGAINSTTUBERCULOSIS

## 160. SHRI VIVEK NARAYAN SHEJWALKAR: SHRI SUNILBABURAO MENDHE:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether it is a fact that the Government has received international recognition in its fight against Tuberculosis in the country; and
- (b) the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government in its fight against Tuberculosis over the past nine years, year-wise?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OFTHE STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (DR. BHARATI PRAVIN PAWAR)

- (a) As per the Global TB Report 2023, published by the World Health Organisation, the incidence rate of TB in India has shown a 16% decline from 237 per 100,000 population in 2015 to 199 per 100,000 population in 2022. During the same period, the TB mortality rate has shown a 18% decline from 28 per lakh population in 2015 to 23 per lakh population in 2022. The efforts taken by India have been appreciated in multiple international forums.
- (b) The Government implements the National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP) under the aegis of the National Health Mission (NHM). With the goal of achieving Sustainable Development Goals related to TB by 2025, five years ahead of the global targets, the government has implemented a National Strategic Plan (2017-25) with the following objectives: -
-  Early diagnosis of TB patients, prompt treatment with quality assured drugs and treatment regimens.
-  To engage with the patients seeking care in the private sector.
-  Prevention strategies including active case finding and contact tracing in high risk /vulnerable population.
-  Airborne infection control.
-  Multi-sectoral response for addressing social determinants.
-  Ni-kshay Mitra Initiative under which individuals, corporates or organisations adopt consenting TB patients to provide additional nutritional, diagnostic and vocational support.
-  Screening of vulnerable population during Ayushman Bhavah health camps through Ayushman Arogya Mandir.

Further, to achieve SDGs related to goal, the key activities undertaken by the NTEP are as under:

- 1) State and District Specific Strategic plan for targeted interventions in highburden areas.
- 2) Provision of free drugs and diagnostics to TB patients including for drugresistant TB.
- 3) Active TB case-finding campaign in key vulnerable and co-morbid populations.
- 4) Integration with Ayushman Arogya Mandir to decentralize screening and treatment services closer to the community.
- 5) Screening of vulnerable population during Ayushman Bhavah health camps through Ayushman Arogya Mandir.
- 6) Private sector engagement including incentives for notification and management of TB cases.
- 7) Scale up of molecular diagnostic laboratories to sub-district levels.
- 8) Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana for nutritional support to TB patients.
- 9) Intensified IEC campaigns to reduce stigma, raise community awareness and improve health seeking behaviour.
- 10) Multi-sectoral response with involvement of line ministries.
- 11) Scale up TB preventive therapy to contacts of pulmonary TB.
- 12) Track notified TB cases through a case-based web-based portal namely Nikshay
- 13) Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan (PMTBMBA):
14.  Launched by the Ministry on 9th September 2022 for community support to TB patients with the objective to provide people with TB with additional nutritional, diagnostic and vocational support.
15.  Ni-kshay 2.0 portal has been developed and made available in public domain for facilitating the community to register as Ni-kshay Mitra.
16.  Guidance documents have been developed and shared with all State/UTs to implement the initiative.
17.  Periodic reviews are done to monitor the progress of the initiative at National and State/UT levels.

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