Portal with TB-related data from all over India to be launched soon: Mandaviya

New Delhi, Aug 05: A new portal that captures detailed information on the data related to tuberculosis from all over the country and would be accessible to everyone is going to be launched soon, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has said.

Through the portal, an individual could "adopt" tuberculosis patients and take care of their treatment and nutrition, the minister said addressing a conference, titled "National Consultation on TB Elimination: Building Synergies for a TB Mukt Bharat (TB-Free India)", on Wednesday.

"If each one of us adopts one or several patients, the goal of 2025 will quickly be realised," Mandaviya said.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), in collaboration with the Karnataka Health Promotion Trust (KHPT), the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP) and the Global Coalition Against TB, organised the critical consultation intended to aid the efforts to achieve Prime Minister Narendra Modi's goal of a TB-free India by 2025.

The conference brought together key stakeholders, including members of Parliament, members of the legislative assemblies, Panchayati Raj leaders, technical experts and civil society members, to discuss different topics centred around eliminating tuberculosis.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Dalbir Singh, president, Global Coalition on TB (GCAT), said, "If we are to liberate this country from this terrible scourge, we need to involve the entire political class, build partnerships and integrate the private sector as well. We must adopt a multi-sectoral approach. We must honour our commitment to eliminating TB by 2025 and give a lead to the rest of the world."

Speaking on behalf of the parliamentarians, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Bhubaneswar Kalita said, "We need to continue to focus on a multisectoral, collaborative approach to reach the most vulnerable and unreached populations to achieve TB elimination and leave no one behind." Dr Rajendra Joshi, Deputy Director General, NTEP, spoke about the barriers that exist, especially in reaching the most marginalised. "We want to address social stigma and vulnerability in our fight against TB," he said.

Adding another perspective, Mohan HL, CEP, KHPT, said, "Any health intervention needs to focus on both the workspace and residential spaces if we are to respond to the health needs of the urban vulnerable." Since 1998, India and the US are working together to combat TB through improved patient-centred diagnosis, treatment and prevention, helping treat more than 1.5 crore people suffering from the disease. The USAID works with both the government of India and, through its partners, with the communities where TB is most prevalent.