100-day campaign against tuberculosis kicks off in city

New Delhi: The department of health and family welfare, Delhi, launched a 100-day campaign against tuberculosis at an event held at Rajan Babu Institute of Pulmonary Medicine and Tuberculosis in GTB Nagar on Saturday. The campaign emphasises awareness creation, early diagnosis promotion, treatment and community engagement to eliminate TB by 2025.
Mission director Danish Ashraf led the inauguration ceremony. Ashraf highlighted that achieving Prime Minister Narendra Modi's objective of TB elimination in India by 2025 required collaborative efforts among all stakeholders and the public. He also launched three Nikshay vehicles designed for conducting door-to-door testing campaigns. These vehicles are equipped with comprehensive testing facilities for early TB detection and public awareness creation.
Health officials stated that this event represented a crucial step forward in the country's focused efforts to achieve a TB-free India. Achieving a TB-free India extends beyond healthcare goals to become a national imperative, aimed at enhancing life quality, increasing productivity and fostering healthier communities. The launch of this campaign highlights the importance of sustained efforts and collaboration in building a healthier, TB-free future for all, they added.
Pankaj Naresh Aggarwal, additional commissioner (health), MCD; Dr Vandana Bagga, the directorate general of health services, Delhi govt; Dr Manasi Anand, director, RBIPMT; and Dr Nilesh Saini of National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme, Delhi were present on the occasion. Dr Ninglang Taley, district TB officer at Kingsway Chest Centre, and his team coordinated the event.
Participating in another event organised under the aegis of the Union ministry of health and family welfare, south Delhi MP Ramvir Singh Bidhuri said along with govt efforts, public participation was also necessary to completely eradicate TB. He said the disease could be completely defeated only by creating public awareness against it. He also flagged off a Nikshay vehicle.