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India's Robust Pharma Industry a Major Strength to World's Fight against TB: PM Modi

Addressing the One World TB Summit in Varanasi, PM Modi says that India is committed to end tuberculosis by 2025

• By Newsdesk
• Varanasi
• Mar 24, 2023

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On the occasion of World Tuberculosis day, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the One World TB Summit, organized by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, in Varanasi, on Friday. 

During his address, PM Modi emphasized the threat of Tuberculosis to humanity, and credited India's robust pharma industry as a major strength for the world's fight against TB. He also mentioned about India's target of ending TB by the year 2025. The summit was joined by international delegates from across 30 countries.

"India's robust pharma industry is a big strength to the world's fight against TB. I wish that fruits of each and every endeavor of India, campaign of India, innovation of India reach to the whole world as we are committed towards the Global Good”, said the Prime Minister.  

"2030 is the global target to eradicate TB but India is now working on the target of ending TB by the year 2025. India's local approach against TB has global potential. 80 per cent of TB medicines are manufactured in India which exhibits the talent and capability of our pharma,” he added further. 

The Prime Minister also credited people's participation for India’s great work in the fight against Tuberculosis, "We had urged people to adopt a TB patient, under 'Ni-kshay Mitra'. After this mission, close to 10 lakh TB patients have been adopted by the common people of India. .The economic assistance of these Ni-kshay Mitra' has crossed more than 1 lakh crore. Such a huge community initiative running in India is very inspiring". PM Modi further mentioned that around Rs 2 lakh crore have been directly sent into the accounts of 75 lakh patients through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). 

During the summit, the Prime Minister launched TB-Mukt Panchayat initiative, the official pan-India rollout of a shorter preventive treatment and family-centric care model for TB and release of India's Annual TB Report 2023. "We connected the patients through Ayushman Bharat, we have increased the number of TB laboratories, and we have also increased focus on specific areas having more TB patients. Under this, our initiative is 'TB Mukt Panchayat', where the representatives will take a resolution that not a single TB patient will be there in the village”, he said. 

 Emphasizing that India's new vision and approach should be known by the whole world; PM Modi calls India’s work over the last nine years as a “new model of the global fight against TB”. Alongside, he mentioned government campaigns like Fit India, Khelo India, and Yoga promoting public participation, special campaigns for nutrition, and use of technology in promoting good health.

The Prime Minister also distributed awards to selected States and Union Territories and districts for their progress towards ending TB. He congratulated Karnataka and Jammu-Kashmir for becoming TB-free. 

In his address, PM Modi said that India's vision of 'Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam' is giving an integrated vision and integrated solution to the whole world.

"Based on that, India has also kept this year's theme as 'One Earth One Family One Future'. This theme is a commitment of a combined future of the whole world as a family. Some time ago, India also took the initiative to take forward the vision of 'One Earth, One Health' and now through 'One World TB Summit' India is fulfilling another resolution of Global Good," said the Prime Minister.