NEW DELHI — In a major push to achieve a tuberculosis-free India, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare J. P. Nadda chaired a high-level inter-ministerial meeting in the national capital. The strategic convention brought together Union Minister for Labour and Employment Mansukh Mandaviya and Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth to consolidate cross-departmental support for the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan.
A Whole-of-Government Mandate
Emphasizing that the eradication of tuberculosis requires a unified administrative front rather than isolated healthcare interventions, Nadda called for a comprehensive “whole-of-government” approach. He urged all central ministries to intensify their structural and logistical efforts, aligning their respective portfolios to accelerate the national elimination timeline.
Mobilizing Youth Frameworks and Volunteer Cadres
A central pillar of the high-level review focused on leveraging India’s vast youth demographic to drive grassroots awareness and community monitoring:
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Youth Leadership: The Health Minister highlighted the pivotal role of younger generations in destabilizing social stigmas associated with the disease and ensuring early treatment adherence.
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Institutional Cadres: The meeting outlined a directive for the active mobilization of structured volunteer networks across the country. This includes activating personnel from the Mera Yuva Bharat (MY Bharat) platform, the National Service Scheme (NSS), and the National Cadet Corps (NCC) to lead localized campaign expansions.
By linking the operational reach of the Defence Ministry’s youth wings and the institutional networks of the Labour Ministry, the government aims to scale up the Ni-kshay Mitra initiative, optimizing nutritional and diagnostic support for TB patients nationwide.
