Union Health Minister J.P. Naddamet with West Bengal’s Members of Parliament in New Delhi on Wednesday, urging cross-party lawmakers to spearhead grassroots efforts against tuberculosis in their constituencies. The session, held during the Monsoon Session of Parliament, was also attended by Union Minister of State SukantaMajumdar.
Citing the WHO’s 2025 Global TB Report, Nadda noted that India’s TB incidence has fallen 21 percent since 2015 — nearly double the worldwide rate — while treatment coverage now stands at 92 percent, well above the global figure of 78 percent.
He called TB elimination a shared responsibility, asking MPs to boost local monitoring, encourage early screening through community health camps, and support patients via the Ni-kshayMitra volunteer network. Officials also pointed to India’s expanding diagnostic infrastructure, including thousands of AI-powered portable X-ray units and molecular testing machines, as central to identifying symptom-free cases early.
Legislators from the state pledged continued cooperation, with officials noting that outreach in tea gardens, slums and migrant camps had strengthened detection efforts during the recent 100-day campaign.
Written By: Sayan Das
Graphics by: Pramit Hazra
