Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan

Recently, the President of India launched the ‘Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan’ to speed up the fight against tuberculosis (TB)...

Key Points:

About ‘Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan:

It is an initiative of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) to eliminate TB by 2025.

Components:

“Ni-kshay” Portal: A portal was launched to adopt TB patients.

It can be used by Individuals, NGOs and others

Ni-kshay Mitras initiative: The Ministry of Health announced “adopt a TB-patient” (Ni-kshay Mitras) initiative.

Ni-kshay Mitra would provide additional support to all the on-treatment TB patients.
Ni-kshay Mitra includes Co-operative societies, corporates, individuals and others.
Only individual Ni-kshay Mitra can choose the patients from a given health facility.
The other Ni-kshay Mitras have to choose the entire geographical unit (blocks/urban wards/districts/States).

Additional support:

Nutritional support

Additional investigations for the diagnosed TB patients,

Vocational support

Time: Minimum one year.

Significance:

Increase the active involvement of society in the fight against tuberculosis.

Increase awareness

Reduction of the stigma

Reduction of the out-of-pocket expenditure for the family of the TB patient.

Improved nutrition for the TB patient.

About Tuberculosis

It is an airborne communicable disease caused by the bacteria bacillus Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
Mode of transmission: Airborne and therefore through coughing, sneezing or spitting.
Prevention: BCG vaccine for children, currently no effective vaccine for adults
Treatment: DOTS strategy (Directly observed Treatment Short Course) is a WHO-recommended cost effective strategy.

TB incidence in India

India has the world’s highest tuberculosis (TB) burden, with an estimated 26 lakh people contracting the disease and approximately 4 lakh death every year.

Initiatives:

The National TB Programme (NTP) was launched by the Government of India in 1962 with BCG vaccination and TB treatment.

The Government of India revitalized NTP as Revised National TB Control Programme (RNTCP) in 1993.

In 2020, the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP)has renamed the National TB Elimination Program (NTEP).

It aims to reduce the TB burden in India by 2025, five years ahead of the Sustainable Development Goals.

National Strategic Plan for TB Elimination 2017-2025:

RNTCP has released a ‘National strategic plan for tuberculosis 2017-2025’ (NSP) for the control and elimination of TB in India by 2025.

Why in the News?