By Our Correspondent
NEW DELHI/BHUBANESWAR: President Smt. Droupadi Murmu will virtually launch the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan on September 9th to reinvigorate the mission of TB elimination from the country by 2025. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi gave the clarion call to end TB in the country five years ahead of SDG target of 2030 at the Delhi End TB Summit in March 2018.The Abhiyaan will be launched in presence of Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar, MoS (HFW), Union Ministers, Governors and Lt. Governors and other dignitaries. The virtual event will be attended by representatives from State & district health administration, corporates, industries, civil society and NGOs as the country reiterates the commitment towards TB elimination by 2025.
The 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. Hon’ble President will also launch the Ni-kshay Mitra initiative 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, could be a wide range of stakeholders from elected representatives, political parties, to corporates, NGOs, and individuals.
The launch event aims to highlight the need for a societal approach that brings together people from all backgrounds into a Jan Andolan to achieve the ambitious target of eliminating TB from the country by 2025. Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan is a step towards garnering community support towards a patient-centric health system.
