The prime minister says schemes like Swacch Bharat and Ujjwala helping in fight against TB
Prime minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the End TB summit on Tuesday in the presence of WHO director general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and health minister J P Nadda.
Modi in his speech described the summit as “an important step for humanity”. “The way TB has affected human lives, the economy and social relationships, it has become imperative to end TB. The poor suffer the most so every step to end TB linked directly to the life of poor,” Modi said. He added that the National Strategic Plan to eliminate TB by 2025 is fully functional and the government has allocated $100 million every year for nutrition support. He reiterated the commitment to end TB in India by 2025. He emphasised the role of doctors and frontline health workers in the battle against TB.
“Economic loss on account of TB in India is estimated to be about Rs 20,000 crore per annum. We cannot allow such human tragedies for a disease which  is treatable”
He used Mission Indradhanush, the immunisation programme as an example of what commitment and direction can achieve. He expressed his confidence that from a position in which it would have taken 40 years to achieve full immunisation, India is now looking at touching 90% in next one year.
TB kills an estimated 480,000 Indians every year and more than 1,400 every day. India also has more than a million ‘missing’ cases every year that are not notified and most remain either undiagnosed or unaccountably and inadequately diagnosed and treated in the private sector.
Last year in a letter to all Chief ministers of the country, Modi wrote: “There are about 29 lakh new TB cases every year and about 4.20 lakh people, mostly poor, are estimated to to die annually on account of TB, leaving lakhs of children orphaned. Economic loss on account of TB in India is estimated to be about Rs 20,000 crore per annum. We cannot allow such human tragedies for a disease which  is treatable and for which drugs and diagnostics are available in the public healthcare system.”
In his speech Nadda credited Modi with the renewed focus on health and particularly TB and committed to honour the prime minister’s commitment to end TB by 2025, five years ahead of the global target of 2030.
Speaking on the occasion Dr Ghebreyesus said there is no place more significant where the summit could have been held. “India has been taking critical and bold steps to end TB,” he said, ending his speech with the TB Harega Desh Jitega tag line.
