Under the aegis of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, an 8-member national media team from New Delhi visited Ri-Bhoi district in Meghalaya today to assess the work being carried out under the government’s 100-day intensive TB elimination campaign. During this visit, the journalist team interacted with the Deputy Commissioner, State TB Officer, Ri-Bhoi District TB Officer and traditional healers.
While interacting with the media, Deputy Commissioner Ri-Bhoi Abhilash Baranwal said that Meghalaya has undertaken several initiatives after the clarion call of Hon’ble Prime Minister to eliminate TB in the country by 2025. He informed that by maximizing direct community participation the state has been able to achieve the desired outcome. Mr. Baranwal said that by engaging traditional healers and self help groups, many patients who were earlier left out of the TB screening process are now getting screened and treated as well for the disease. He informed the media that nearly 10 percent of the hamlets in the district have not reported even a single case of TB in the last year.
The National Media team will be in Shillong for the next two days and will visit Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, Primary Health Centres, State TB Office and interact with the TB patients and TB Champions. The team will also be briefed by Ramkumar S., the Mission Director of the National Health Mission for the State of Meghalaya.
Background : The 100-day TB elimination campaign is a part of the broader framework of the National Tuberculosis Elimination Program (NTEP) under the National Health Mission (NHM), aligned with the National Strategic Plan (NSP) for TB elimination from 2017 to 2025. The NSP focuses on reducing TB incidence, enhancing diagnostic and treatment capabilities, and addressing the socio-economic impact of the disease. The campaign aims to intensify the fight against TB by improving case detection, reducing diagnostic delays, and enhancing treatment outcomes, especially for vulnerable populations. Spanning 347 districts across 33 states and union territories, this campaign is a critical component of India’s strategy to eliminate TB and build a TB-free nation.