The Union Health Minister, Dr Harsh Vardhan released the WHO-GoI Joint Monitoring Mission (JMM) 2019 Report, an independent evaluation of India’s National TB Programme on 24 June. This is the seventh JMM on TB since the launch of the Revised National TB Control Programme (RNTCP) in India 21 years ago. The JMM team comprising 165 multidisciplinary professionals from across the world conducted a two-week intensive review from 11-22 November across 11 districts in six state. The key recommendations to end TB in India include — implementing TB elimination in “mission mode” as envisioned in India's National Strategic Plan with clear accountability, multisectoral engagement and workforce reinforcement are critical; rapidly scaling-up private sector engagement, full community participation and ownership; investing in TB surveillance systems and in research to develop new tools and its rapid uptake; deploying new precision diagnostic tools, scaling up advance tests and a people-centered comprehensive treatment approach; implementing targeted active case finding for TB in key affected populations and preventive treatment in high-risk groups, household and other close contacts of people with TB will fast track India’s END TB goals.
