How India seeks to end tuberculosis by 2025, five years before deadline

The drive also aims to offer sustainable and equitable access to free high-quality TB treatment, care, and support services to the people of Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

Mandaviya said these MoUs are of immense importance in eliminating the menace of TB and will bolster the vision of the Prime Minister Modi to end tuberculosis in India by 2025.

“As part of the holistic governance approach, both ministries have collaborated through this MoU. This agreement will bolster Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's vision to end tuberculosis in India by 2025, five years ahead of the sustainable development goal (SDG).”

The diagnostic support provided as part of the MoU will strengthen the efforts to identify TB patients enabling timely treatment, he added.

Highlighting the achievements under Nikshay 2.0 initiative, which was recently launched by the president, the minister said,  “Within 15 days of the launch of the scheme, all 12 lakh identified and consented TB patients in India were covered by Nikshay Mitras who provide them nutrition kits and other support,” he said.

Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri expressed gratitude to Indian Oil for taking the initiative and bringing it to a point of implementation.

He said, "This milestone MoU is an affirmation of the Indian energy sector’s resolve to align with Hon’ble PM’s vision to enhance the robust healthcare system in India” and stressed that the health sector has always taken primacy for CSR initiatives of the Petroleum Ministry.

The two states, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, share the highest burden of TB cases among large states in India. With this initiative, IndianOil has emerged as the first corporate to supplement state efforts in Active Case Finding campaign (ACF) by investing close to Rs. 64 crore in all 75 districts of UP, covering approximately 10 percent of its population once a year for three years.

IndianOil will also introduce 18 mobile medical vans equipped with cutting-edge diagnostic technology in Uttar Pradesh.  This would aid diagnosis of TB in rural areas and hard-to-reach communities, leading to improved early case detection and thereby ensuring early treatment.

IndianOil will also provide a cost-effective, novel molecular diagnostic machine, which will improve access, availability, and utilisation of TB diagnostic services in aspirational districts of UP and remote tribal areas of Chhattisgarh.

In addition to providing Truenat machines in 18 mobile medical vans being introduced for UP, IndianOil will provide approximately 100 of these machines in all tuberculosis units of all the eight aspirational districts of UP (Bahraich, Balrampur, Chandauli, Chitrakoot, Fatehpur, Shravasti, Siddharthnagar and Sonbhadra) and community health centres (CHCs) in the state of Chhattisgarh. Moreover, the company will provide handheld x-ray units in UP and Chhattisgarh.