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Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare JP Nadda on Wednesday interacted with Members of Parliament from Jharkhand and Odisha on the sidelines of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, as part of the Government's continued engagement with parliamentarians to accelerate efforts towards a TB Mukt Bharat.
Anupriya Patel, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare & Chemicals and Fertilizers, and Sanjay Seth, Union Minister of State for Defence, also participated in the interaction. The interaction, held under the theme "Parliamentarians Championing a TB Mukt Bharat", brought together Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs from both States across party lines, reflecting a shared commitment to strengthening the fight against tuberculosis through political leadership, community participation, and last-mile delivery of services. The interaction reviewed progress under the recently concluded 100-Day TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, which was implemented in two phases to accelerate TB elimination efforts. The second phase, launched on March 24, 2026, covered nearly 1.58 lakh high-risk villages and urban wards across the country and concluded in July 2026, the Health Ministry said. During the campaign, over 2.2 crore vulnerable individuals were screened, more than 7 lakh new TB cases were detected, and 1.97 lakh asymptomatic TB cases were identified--cases that may otherwise have remained undetected. The intensified case-finding approach has demonstrated the importance of proactive screening, particularly among vulnerable and high-risk populations. Nadda emphasised the importance of sustained political and administrative engagement in achieving the goal of a TB Mukt Bharat. He highlighted innovative case-finding strategies, early diagnosis, patient-centric care and community participation as critical pillars of India's accelerated TB elimination strategy. He called upon parliamentarians to play an active role in their constituencies by engaging with District Collectors and health facilities, reviewing the availability and quality of TB services, and supporting efforts for early diagnosis and treatment. He also stressed the need for continued public engagement and social mobilisation to ensure that TB elimination becomes a sustained Jan Andolan. The participating MPs from Jharkhand and Odisha reaffirmed their commitment to intensifying awareness and stigma-reduction campaigns, promoting Ni-kshay Shivirs for early detection, particularly among vulnerable populations, and strengthening supportive supervision of TB services at district and block levels. (ANI)
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