TB Mission 2020 Announced: Long Term Solutions Sought

TB Mission 2020 Announced: Long Term Solutions Sought

Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare announced the TB Mission 2020 for the elimination of TB from India. This announcement took place at the WHO Global TB Symposium entitled “Moving Out of the Box To End Global TB Epidemic: With Post-2015 Strategy”. The Ministry was addressing the 45th Union World Conference on Lung Health in Barcelona. Indian as well as South African ministers constituted the delegation which chaired the meetings of technical experts from BRIC nations. Tuberculosis control was also decided as the main agenda for the upcoming BRICS Health Ministers in the month of December, 2014.

It was emphasised by the ministry that the long-term solution to lung related issues and health ailments lay in involving all the stakeholders including health care professionals, policy makers and communities being served. Under the TB Mission 2020, the ministry also laid guidelines for anti-TB mission officials to work hard and achieve massive success by 2019.

TB Control is being emphasised as a major objective as the government has done into intensive mission mode from a passive one. This mode involves the use of locals self government bodies as well as activists from the voluntary sector. TB care standards in India are not the minimum standards and they are a composite whole of the best diagnosis strategies employing high sensitive tools as well as universal drug susceptibility testing as well as quality assured drugs and enhanced regimens for coping with this health ailment. India is also ensuring completely free diagnosis and treatment for all TB patients regardless of the provider irrespective of whether it is a government or a private hospital.Efforts are on to ensure nutrition support and financial resources for those suffering from TB.

Regulatory steps have also been undertaken by the government such as banning commercial serology for diagnosis of this lung disease, bring anti-TB drugs under a separate schedule of the national law pertaining to drugs to prevent any misuse. Mandatory notifications for detection of new TB cases have also been carried out. Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan spoke of achieving TB free India by 2020. "I am a man in a hurry. While I am all for having a long-term perspective, I am not interested in something that may or may not be achieved in 2035 or 2050.”

"TB is the by-product of poverty. I strongly believe that TB control should be taken up by all as a development issue. The responsibility of TB control needs to move from doctors to medical administrators and politicians. That I wear all these hats is pure coincidence and, indeed, an opportunity to lessen the suffering of mankind," the minister also stated.