As part of the Call to Action for a TB-Free India, representatives from 46 civil society organisations working on TB prevention and care met in New Delhi to discuss the steps necessary to achieve a TB-Free India and the vital role of civil society in this effort. The meeting was organised jointly by The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, GoI and The Union.
India bears the highest burden of TB in the world accounting for 2.1 million cases and killing 278,000 Indians every year (WHO Global TB Report 2014). Despite an extensive national TB control programme, TB remains one of India’s severest health crises – and it has become imperative to effectively engage all stakeholders, including civil society, in addressing the problem.
India aims to meet the goals of the World Health Organization’s End TB strategy, which calls for reducing deaths due to TB by 95 per cent ( base year 2015), a 90 per cent reduction in TB incidence rate and zero affected families facing catastrophic costs due to TB by 2035.
“Civil society organisations should play an active role to achieve the mission of a TB-Free India,” said Shri Anshu Prakash ( IAS), Joint Secretary – MoHFW. “Our aim should be to reach out to people across the country in more proactive manner and realise the call to make India TB-Free. The Government is very keen, serious and committed in controlling and fighting TB in India and urges the civil society to work more cohesively to realise this mission. We hope together we can further synergise our efforts to achieve our goals.”
Among the other speakers at the meeting were representatives from the Central TB Division, the Global Coalition of TB Activists (GCTA), the Delhi Netowrk of Positives (DNP+), REACH and The Union South-East Asia Office. The Union will consolidate all of the recommendations stemming from the meeting and submit them to Central TB Division, MoHFW.
This meeting leads off a series of engagements aimed at bringing all the key stakeholders together for high visibility CALL TO ACTION SUMMIT in March 2016.
The Union South-East Asia Office is leading US Agency for International Development’s (USAID) flagship programme for TB, Challenge TB in India. The Call to Action for a TB-Free India Is the key focus of the Challenge TB project in India. For more information, visit www.challengetb.org.
Photo: Shri Anshu Prakash (IAS), Joint Secretary – MoHFW; Dr Niraj Kulshrestha - Additional DDG-CTD; Dr Reuben Swamickan - Project Management Specialist - TB USAID; Dr Jamie Tonsing – Regional Director – The Union; Ms Kavita Ayyagari – Project Director – Challenge TB, The Union with CSO partners