On 23 April 2015, in the country with the largest burden of tuberculosis in the world, the Honourable Union Minister for Health Shri J.P. Nadda, led the launch of a Call to Action for a TB Free India. In alignment with the World Health Assembly-approved End TB Strategy, the Minister committed to major actions including: Reaching all those missed to date in accessing TB diagnosis and care; ensuring patient-friendly quality of care for all patients across the nation using recommended up-to-date technologies; enabling social and nutritional support working with all relevant Ministries; achieving high coverage of TB vaccination with BCG; and playing a leading role in science and innovation for new diagnostics, drugs and vaccines to eliminate TB. To pursue this, a nation-wide communications campaign will build awareness of those affected by TB, by health providers including in the private sector, and commitment to the ambitious goals.
This event immediately followed the 2015 Joint Monitoring Mission of the Revised National TB Programme of India. This largest-ever joint mission was organized by WHO and the Government of India and involved international and non-governmental partners, and stakeholders from national, state and district levels. Major opportunities and challenges were identified and recommendations discussed with the Union Minister and Secretary for Health, with immediate plans for follow-up.
The Call to Action initiative is supported financially by USAID and coordinated by the international NGO, The Union
Dr Mario Raviglione, Director of the WHO Global TB Programme, who participated in the joint monitoring mission and spoke at the event confirmed, "We are here to support India's national programme and Call to Action. Its multi-pronged movement is not 'business-as-usual'-- it aims to proceed at massive scale and will make India a pathfinder nation in gearing up to end TB".
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