"We have seen the unwavering commitment of Hon. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to end TB in India. We are ready to lead from the front and be voice of the Global South in the collaborative fight against TB," said Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya while addressing the 36th Board Meeting of Stop TB Partnership.

 

He said, “India has identified 3 important health priorities under the G20 Presidency. All of these are focused on universal health coverage and relevant to our response for TB elimination”. He added that a lot of “exceptional work is being done at the ground level through innovation in case finding, mathematical modelling, digital interventions and surveillance”.

“India would be happy to share technical assistance with other countries to replicate such good practices, " he added.

Highlighting the crucial importance of the TB vaccine in the global fight against the disease, the Minister urged the Stop TB Partnership Board to deliberate on this and bring up this matter at the UN High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage in September this year.

"TB vaccine is needed urgently", he emphasised. It is also important to fast-track its development, expand the manufacturing capacities and help countries in its easy access, the Minister pointed out.

India has the world’s highest Tuberculosis burden, with an estimated 2.6 million people contracting the disease each year. The disease disproportionately affects households with low socio-economic status. India has set the goal of eliminating TB by 2025, five years ahead of the Sustainable Development Goal target. The current rate of decline of TB incidence is about 2-3 percent per year, which is not enough to meet the End TB targets for the country. However, India is progressing against the SDG goals at a far greater pace than the global average, with a decline in TB incidence by 16 percent and in TB deaths by 18 percent from 2015 to 2022. India is the highest TB burden country in the world, accounting for nearly 27 percent of the global incidence.

Dr Lucica Ditiu emphasised, "India has a pivotal role in eliminating TB because India’s progress will drive the world.” She praised India for “doing very sophisticated modelling with their Ni-kshay data.” “Their innovations, ideas and strategies for bringing healthcare closer to people is something that the whole world can emulate”, she said.

Several partners and stakeholders have come together for India’s fight to eliminate TB, bringing numerous innovative approaches and diverse strategies. The programme has established Technical Support Units at National and state levels to strengthen partnerships.