Union Health Minister Shri J.P. Nadda chaired a high-level virtual review meeting with Health Ministers and senior officials from all States and Union Territories to assess progress of the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan campaign. The meeting focused on the second phase of the intensified 100-day TB elimination campaign scheduled to conclude in the first week of July 2026, representing a critical last-mile effort to identify every missing tuberculosis case.
Significant progress metrics were reported: India's TB incidence has declined to 187 cases per lakh population in 2024 compared to 243 cases per lakh in 2014, representing a substantial reduction. TB mortality has also decreased to 21 per lakh population in 2024 from 34 per lakh in 2014. Since December 2024, the campaign has screened over 28.1 crore people, provided TB preventive treatment to 20 lakh individuals, and added 5.7 lakh new Nikshay Mitras (community supporters).
The second phase since March 24, 2026, has conducted more than 1.7 lakh Ayushman Arogya Shivirs covering over 1.2 lakh high-risk villages, wards, and congregate settings. X-ray screening has increased 34-fold due to large-scale deployment of handheld X-ray machines across the country. The campaign has engaged approximately 32 lakh youth from schools and colleges and nearly 1.9 lakh MY Bharat volunteers supporting awareness and screening activities.
Infrastructure enhancements include the creation of additional radiographer positions beyond the existing 13,702 posts, with deployment through the National Health Mission. States requested additional handheld X-ray machines, CBNAAT and Truenat diagnostic equipment to accelerate screening in difficult-to-reach areas. The Ministry plans to make AI-enabled X-ray solutions available in the near future.
State-specific innovations were highlighted: Kerala implemented a "Zero Catastrophic Cost" model in Kannur district to prevent financial hardship for TB patients, while Mizoram is expanding the Nikshay Mitra initiative through public sector undertakings' CSR programs. The TB Mukt Bharat App integrated with AI-powered chatbot 'Khushi' provides real-time guidance on symptoms, patient entitlements, and nearest diagnostic facilities.
The Union Health Minister emphasized reducing TB mortality as the central focus of all interventions and urged States to conduct district-wise reviews, accelerate screening among vulnerable populations, and engage Members of Parliament and Legislative Assemblies for constituency-level reviews through Jan Bhagidari.