Ministry Of Health Tweeted About ‘Step Up to End TB’ 2022 Summit

Tuberculosis kills more than 1.5 million people each year. It is a disease that affects the lungs severely and causes infection. It can spread when a person coughs or sneezes.

In an event to celebrate World TB Day 2022, Honorable Governor of Uttar Pradesh, Smt. Anandiben Patel virtually inaugurated the “Step Up to End TB” event in presence of Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya to reiterate India’s commitment to eliminating the high-burden infectious disease by 2025, five years ahead of the global goal of SDG 2030.

Smt. Anandiben Patel stated that a societal approach that brings together people from all backgrounds into a Jan Andolan is needed to achieve the ambitious target of eliminating TB by 2025. She urged everyone to make efforts towards:

• Ensuring adequate nutrition for all,
• Building awareness, and
• Addressing any social stigma associated with the disease.

She also made a special note about children suffering from the disease and the challenges they and their families face, underlining the urgency to end childhood TB. While sharing her experience of encouraging individuals, government and private organizations, education institutions, NGOs, etc., to adopt children suffering from TB, she urged those present at the Summit to also adopt them and make an exemplary contribution to the nation’s committed fight to TB. It is equally important to encourage parents, communities, schools, and anganwadis to take the lead to get children screened for TB to enable timely treatment.

According to the Union Health Minister, for more than two years, we have been facing a global pandemic apart from TB prevalence. Both diseases are highly contagious, air-borne, and severely impact families and communities. As we move forward, let us through Jan Andolan and Jan Bhagidari involve various stakeholders and partners in our collative fight against TB, the same way we have collaborated in our fight against COVID19. He also suggested that apart from adopting children, we can go one step further to adopt blocks, districts with the help of local administration there.
The pandemic has shown us that diagnostic services can be scaled up to reach every home. Furthermore, mechanisms have been put in place in States for home care and health services delivery. These lessons can be used to further strengthen our End-TB program.

Footnote:
Tuberculosis is a tough disease to fight but our government is doing its best to help eradicate this disease.