Promise to drive political, administrative, and technical solutions to address specific barriers affecting TB prevention and care in India
Parliamentarians from different political parties came together to demand and sustain high-level domestic commitment to end TB in India. The members of parliament from both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha pledged to drive political, administrative, and technical solutions to address specific barriers affecting TB prevention and care in India.
‘Parliamentarians Meet towards a TB-Free India’ was organised to sensitise them on the TB situation in India and the urgent need for action. The meet was jointly organised by Central TB Division, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW), Government of India (GoI), The International Union against TB and Lung disease (CTB-The Union) and IAPPD in New Delhi.
The dialogue was chaired by Prof PJ Kurien, Deputy Speaker, Rajya Sabha and attended by Pradeep Bhatacharya; Balwinder Singh Bhunder; Anurag Thakur; Majeed Memon; Baishnab Parida; Bhupinder Singh; Narayan Lal Panchariya; Ananda Bhaskar Rapolu; Shadi Lal Batra; Madan Lal; Avinash Rai Khanna; Viplove Thakur; Mabel Rebello; Xerses Sidhwa, Deputy Director, Health Office, USAID India; Manmohan Sharma, Executive Secretary, IAPPD; Dr Jamie Tonsing, Regional Director, The Union and Kavita Ayyagari, Project Director, Challenge TB.
Narrating successful experiences from advocacy efforts of HIV/AIDS programme, Prof Kurien emphasised on the need to increase awareness on TB and related issues. He further added, “We can achieve the goal of a TB-Free India only if coordinated and concerted efforts are made by all the stakeholders viz. government, CSOs, corporates and most importantly, the public at large. Thakur said, “We must gear up to eradicate TB. Besides efforts for TB treatment and care, it is equally important to work against the stigma surrounding TB.”
The parliamentarians pledged, “Let us not remain silent spectators to the loss of human life. We should come together and do all that is possible to make India TB-Free.” They committed to work towards ensuring better TB detection, treatment, patient care and support in their constituencies through civil society organisations. Advocacy efforts in parliament and media will also form part of their commitment focused on seeking more resources for TB management, greater accountability from the government on matters such as new drugs, cost of treatment, improved diagnostics and patient support.
Dr Sunil Khaparde, DDG TB, Central TB Division, MoHFW highlighted the government’s efforts in TB control and said, “Under the End TB Strategy we are aiming to reduce deaths from TB by 95 per cent; a 90 per cent reduction in TB incidence rate; and to ensure that no family incurs catastrophic cost for TB treatment by 2035.” Dr Khaparde also appealed for more resources to enable RNTCP meet these ambitious goal.
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