The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, chaired a high-level review meeting focusing on the National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP). During this meeting in May 2025, he highlighted significant progress and recent innovations in India's TB elimination strategy. These include shorter treatments, quicker diagnoses due to advanced technologies, enhanced nutritional support, and faster public engagement through ‘Jan Bhagidari’. The Prime Minister lauded the successful implementation of '100Day TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan', which involved screening 12.97 crore individuals and detecting over 7.19 lakh TB cases among whom were many asymptomatic patients.
The successful strategies from this campaign will be replicated nationwide to promote a whole-government and -society approach towards TB elimination. Modi also discussed the importance of analyzing trends based on area (urban or rural) and occupation, suggesting that such analysis could help in early identification of high-risk groups. He encouraged the use of technology by supporters ('Nikshay Mitras') for better patient education about TB. The prime minister emphasized the need to reduce fear among TB patients through awareness campaigns, highlighting India's commendable achievement in TB reduction since 2015.
Infrastructure improvements were also discussed with expansions like NAAT and culture drug susceptibility labs, AI-enabled X-rays devices, more than 26,700 X-ray units, and free screening services via Ayushman Arogya Mandirs. The meeting recognized the introduction of new initiatives such as AI-driven technology for screening TB and shorter treatment regimens for drug-resistant strains of TB, along with nutritional interventions tailored to high-risk populations like workers in certain industrial sectors.
The Prime Minister also underlined India's successful implementation of various government schemes including the ‘Nikshay Mitra Initiative’, which has seen 29.4 lakh food baskets distributed by over 250,000 Nikshay Mitras. Under 'Nikshay Poshan Yojana', DBT payments worth crores were provided to TB patients starting from 2018 with plans to further enhance incentives for healthcare teams.
The meeting concluded on a positive note, reinforcing India's commitment towards achieving TB elimination through robust implementation of strategies and engagement across the population. The government's approach is holistic and future-oriented, integrating technology and societal participation into its TB eradication campaign.
Key Entities Referenced
Prime Minister's Office: The office of the Prime Minister, the head of government.
PM: Refers to the Prime Minister.
TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan: A campaign to eliminate Tuberculosis (TB) from India.
India's TB Elimination Strategy: Strategies employed by India to eradicate tuberculosis, including shorter treatment, faster diagnosis, and better nutrition.
Jan Bhagidari: Public participation or people's movement, emphasized as a key element in the TB elimination efforts.
100Day TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan: A specific phase or initiative within the broader TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, lasting 100 days.
PIB Delhi: Press Information Bureau, Delhi - the source of the notification.
Narendra Modi: The Prime Minister of India.
National TB Elimination Programme NTEP: India's national program focused on eliminating Tuberculosis.
7, Lok Kalyan Marg, New Delhi: The official residence of the Prime Minister of India.
Nikshay Mitras: Supporters or volunteers who assist TB patients.
WHO Global TB Report 2024: A report by the World Health Organization on the global status of tuberculosis.
NAAT Nucleic Acid Amplification Testing: A type of molecular diagnostic test used for TB detection.
Ayushman Arogya Mandirs: Health and Wellness Centres providing decentralized TB services.
Nikshay Poshan Yojana: A Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme providing nutritional support to TB patients.
Union Health Minister Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda: The Union Health Minister of India.
Dr. P. K. Mishra: Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister.
Shri Shaktikanta Das: Principal Secretary2 to the Prime Minister.
Shri Amit Khare: Adviser to the Prime Minister.
MJPSVJ: Likely an abbreviation for the department or entity responsible for the release. More context would be needed to fully determine what MJPSVJ refers to
2025: The year the document was posted.
2024: The year in which progress was made in early detection and treatment of TB patients.
2015: Reference year used to calculate TB incidence decline in the WHO Global TB Report 2024.
2023: End year used to calculate TB incidence decline in the WHO Global TB Report 2024.
2018: The year since which Nikshay Poshan Yojana DBT payments to TB patients are being made.
Prime Minister's Office
PM reviews status and progress of TB Mukt Bharat
Abhiyaan
PM lauds recent innovations in India’s TB Elimination
Strategy which enable shorter treatment, faster
diagnosis and better nutrition for TB patients
PM calls for strengthening Jan Bhagidari to drive a
whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach
towards eliminating TB
PM underscores the importance of cleanliness for TB
elimination
PM reviews the recently concluded 100-Day TB Mukt
Bharat Abhiyaan and says that it can be accelerated
and scaled across the country
Posted On: 13 MAY 2025 8:32PM by PIB Delhi
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi chaired a high-level review meeting on the National TB Elimination
Programme (NTEP) at his residence at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, New Delhi earlier today.
Lauding the significant progress made in early detection and treatment of TB patients in 2024, Prime Minister
called for scaling up successful strategies nationwide, reaffirming India’s commitment to eliminate TB from
India.
Prime Minister reviewed the recently concluded 100-Day TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan covering high-focus
districts wherein 12.97 crore vulnerable individuals were screened; 7.19 lakh TB cases detected, including
2.85 lakh asymptomatic TB cases. Over 1 lakh new Ni-kshay Mitras joined the effort during the campaign,
which has been a model for Jan Bhagidari that can be accelerated and scaled across the country to drive a
whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach.
Prime Minister stressed the need to analyse the trends of TB patients based on urban or rural areas and alsobased on their occupations. This will help identify groups that need early testing and treatment, especially
workers in construction, mining, textile mills, and similar fields. As technology in healthcare improves,
Nikshay Mitras (supporters of TB patients) should be encouraged to use technology to connect with TB
patients. They can help patients understand the disease and its treatment using interactive and easy-to-use
technology.
Prime Minister said that since TB is now curable with regular treatment, there should be less fear and more
awareness among the public.
Prime Minister highlighted the importance of cleanliness through Jan Bhagidari as a key step in eliminating
TB. He urged efforts to personally reach out to each patient to ensure they get proper treatment.
During the meeting, Prime Minister noted the encouraging findings of the WHO Global TB Report 2024,
which affirmed an 18% reduction in TB incidence (from 237 to 195 per lakh population between 2015 and
2023), which is double the global pace; 21% decline in TB mortality (from 28 to 22 per lakh population) and
85% treatment coverage, reflecting the programme’s growing reach and effectiveness.
Prime Minister reviewed key infrastructure enhancements, including expansion of the TB diagnostic network
to 8,540 NAAT (Nucleic Acid Amplification Testing) labs and 87 culture & drug susceptibility labs; over
26,700 X-ray units, including 500 AI-enabled handheld X-ray devices, with another 1,000 in the pipeline. The
decentralization of all TB services including free screening, diagnosis, treatment and nutrition support at
Ayushman Arogya Mandirs was also highlighted.
Prime Minister was apprised of introduction of several new initiatives such as AI driven hand-held X-rays for
screening, shorter treatment regimen for drug resistant TB, newer indigenous molecular diagnostics, nutrition
interventions and screening & early detection in congregate settings like mines, tea garden, construction sites,
urban slums, etc. including nutrition initiatives; Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana DBT payments to 1.28 crore TB
patients since 2018 and enhancement of the incentive to ₹1,000 in 2024. Under Ni-kshay Mitra Initiative, 29.4
lakh food baskets have been distributed by 2.55 lakh Ni-kshay Mitras.
The meeting was attended by Union Health Minister Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda, Principal Secretary to PM Dr.
P. K. Mishra, Principal Secretary-2 to PM Shri Shaktikanta Das, Adviser to PM Shri Amit Khare, Health
Secretary and other senior officials.
***
MJPS/VJ
(Release ID: 2128490)