National Award for TB Elimination

• 01 Apr 2025

Why in News? 

On the occasion of World Tuberculosis Day on 24th March 2025, Rajasthan has been awarded the National Award for its special efforts towards TB elimination . 

Key Points 

• About the issue: 
  • The Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare presented this award to Rajasthan for securing the third position in the country in the TB Free Gram Panchayat Campaign, at a ceremony held at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi. 
  • Rajasthan has made significant contribution in realizing initiatives like TB Free India Campaign and TB Free Gram Panchayat . 
  • The Principal Secretary to Government informed that under the TB Free Gram Panchayat Campaign, 3,355 Gram Panchayats of Rajasthan were declared TB free in the year 2024 , whereas this number was 586 in 2023.  
  • Apart from this, more than 19,000 Nishchay Mitras (community supporters) have been added so far in Rajasthan under the Prime Minister TB Free India Campaign

 Prime Minister's TB Free India Campaign 

• Introduction: 
  • It is an initiative of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) to accelerate the country's progress towards TB elimination by the year 2025 . 
• Objective: 
  • Providing additional patient support to improve treatment outcomes for TB patients. 
  • To enhance community participation in meeting India's commitment to end TB by 2025. 
  • Taking advantage of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities. 
• Ingredients:  
  • Ni-Kshaya Mitra Initiative: It ensures additional diagnostic, nutritional and professional support for TB treatment. 
    • Ni-Kshaya Mitras (Donors) support health facilities (for individual donors) at Block/Urban Wards/Districts/State levels to supplement Government efforts to accelerate the response against TB. 
  • Ni-Kshaya Digital Portal: It will provide a platform for community support for people suffering from TB. 
• Tuberculosis (TB): 
  • Introduction: TB or Tuberculosis is caused by a bacterium called 'Mycobacterium tuberculosis', 
    • It usually affects the lungs, but can affect other parts of the body too. 
    • It is a treatable and curable disease. 
  • Transmission: TB disease spreads from one person to another through the air. When a person suffering from 'pulmonary TB' coughs, sneezes or spits, he or she spreads the TB germs into the air. 
  • Symptoms: Common symptoms of 'pulmonary TB' include cough with sputum, sometimes blood, as well as chest pain, weakness, weight loss, fever and night sweats. 
  • Vaccine: Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is a vaccine for TB disease.