Nadda Seeks MPs’ Support to Step Up TB Fight in Jharkhand, Odisha

Technology has become a bigger part of active TB detection, with India’s molecular testing network growing from a few hundred machines about a decade ago to more than 9,000 machines.

Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda met Members of Parliament from Jharkhand and Odisha during the Monsoon Session of Parliament, seeking stronger political and community involvement in India's tuberculosis elimination programme as the government looks to build on the results of its recently concluded 100-Day TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan. Union Ministers of State Anupriya Patel and Sanjay Seth also joined the interaction, which brought Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members from different political parties together under the theme "Parliamentarians Championing a TB Mukt Bharat."

The meeting focused on taking TB screening, diagnosis and patient support deeper into communities where infections can remain undetected because people have few symptoms or face difficulties reaching health facilities. Nadda asked MPs to work closely with district administrations and health facilities in their constituencies, review the availability and quality of TB services and encourage communities to participate in early screening and treatment.

2.2 Crore Vulnerable People Screened During Campaign

The 100-Day TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan was implemented in two phases, with its second phase beginning on March 24, 2026 and covering nearly 1.58 lakh high-risk villages and urban wards before concluding in July. More than 2.2 crore vulnerable people were screened during the campaign, leading to the detection of over seven lakh new TB cases, including 1.97 lakh asymptomatic cases that could otherwise have remained unnoticed.

The results underline why active screening has become an important part of India's TB strategy, particularly among people facing higher risks because of their living conditions, occupation, nutrition or other health factors. According to the WHO Global TB Report 2025 figures cited by the government, India recorded a 21% decline in TB incidence between 2015 and 2024 and achieved a treatment success rate of 92%.

Jharkhand and Odisha See Thousands of Cases Detected

Jharkhand and Odisha remain important states for intensified TB interventions because several vulnerable groups live or work in mining and industrial belts, migrant settlements, tribal areas, urban slums and labour colonies. Occupational exposure to dust, malnutrition, comorbidities, tobacco and alcohol consumption can also add to the risk faced by some communities.

Jharkhand notified 16,754 TB patients during the 100-Day campaign, including 4,574 people who were asymptomatic. Odisha reported 15,268 patients, of whom 3,514 were asymptomatic. Screening was taken closer to vulnerable communities through Ayushman Arogya Shivirs organised at locations including urban slums, construction sites, migrant clusters and mining areas.

Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava stressed that continued screening among priority populations would be important for maintaining the momentum created by the campaign, while ensuring that people diagnosed with TB can access treatment and patient-centred support without unnecessary barriers.

AI-Enabled X-Rays Expand Reach of TB Screening

Technology has become a bigger part of active TB detection, with India's molecular testing network growing from a few hundred machines about a decade ago to more than 9,000 machines. Nearly 3,000 AI-enabled handheld X-ray units are also being used in the field, allowing health teams to screen people in communities where access to conventional diagnostic facilities may be difficult.

Additional Secretary Aradhana Patnaik said these tools are supporting intensified case finding while states track indicators such as notifications, treatment success and preventive therapy coverage. Nadda stressed that technology and medical services need to be matched by sustained public participation, calling for TB elimination to develop into a continuing Jan Andolan rather than ending with individual campaigns.

MPs from the two states committed to supporting awareness and stigma-reduction activities, promoting Ni-kshay Shivirs for early detection and strengthening supervision of TB services at district and block levels. They also backed greater nutritional, psychosocial and livelihood assistance for people affected by TB, recognising that successful treatment can depend on support beyond medicines alone.

The consultation forms part of a wider series of interactions between the Union Health Minister and MPs from different states, with the government seeking stronger coordination among elected representatives, administrators, healthcare workers and local communities as India continues its push towards a TB Mukt Bharat.