Centre’s 100-day campaign against TB is a step in the right direction
Eight years ago, the government announced its intent to eliminate tuberculosis in the country by 2025. Though India could not meet the deadline, it has taken appreciable strides in slowing the incidence of this bacterial disease. Today its healthcare system diagnoses more than 80 per cent of the estimated cases, a far cry from 2015 when close to 50 per cent of those infected by TB fell outside the radar. However, the disease continues to present a formidable challenge. Close to a lakh cases go undetected in the country, and chances of the infection spreading remain high. That’s why the Centre’s 100-day campaign against TB, which began on Tuesday, is a step in the right direction. Public health programmes against difficult contagions require periodic bursts of urgency focused on high-risk areas, because national figures can often mask deeply localised epidemics. Chhattisgarh’s 100-day anti-TB project recognised this imperative — it eliminated the disease in more than 4,000 gram panchayats between December 2024 and March 2025.
Over the next 100 days, healthcare workers will screen those living in 1.58 lakh villages. They will also reach out to vulnerable people such as those living with HIV, diabetes and residents of high-density areas The government has also pushed for expediting its Rs 1,000 monetary support for nutrition to TB patients. The thrust on timely payments is a recognition of one of the shortcomings of the anti-TB programme. Reports have shown that delays in processing the payment have rendered the nutritional support ineffective in several parts of the country. In contrast, the success of the anti-TB programme in Chhattisgarh and Puducherry owes much to timely cash transfers to the undernourished.
The government would do well to treat its latest drive as a catalyst for improved diagnostics, regular follow-ups and better community engagement. Institutionalising the learnings of the 100-day campaign could go a long way in addressing the most difficult TB-related challenge — the disease’s multidrug-resistant version. This virulent form of TB occurs largely because of the mismanagement of the disease. TB care is exacting for patients as well as caregivers — that’s why patients continue to drop therapy mid-course or do not take the correct dosage. The 100-day anti-TB campaign needs to lay the ground for improved support systems.
- 1The Centre's 100-day campaign against TB exemplifies a focused public health intervention, addressing the challenge of localized epidemics despite national progress. This initiative, involving screening in 1.58 lakh villages and reaching vulnerable groups, highlights the government's commitment under Directive Principle Article 47. However, effective implementation requires overcoming administrative hurdles like payment delays in nutritional support schemes.
- 2The government's Rs 1,000 monetary support for nutrition to TB patients, though crucial, faces efficacy issues due to payment delays. Successful models in Chhattisgarh and Puducherry underscore the importance of timely cash transfers for vulnerable populations, including those with HIV or diabetes. This highlights the socio-economic determinants of health outcomes and the need for robust welfare delivery mechanisms.
- 3The ongoing anti-TB campaign reinforces the State's obligation to ensure public health, implicitly linked to the Right to Life under Article 21 of the Constitution. While Article 47 mandates improving public health, the challenge of undetected cases and multi-drug resistant TB necessitates robust legal frameworks for disease surveillance and patient support. This also involves ensuring access to timely treatment and nutritional aid.
- 4The emergence of multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) due to mismanagement, such as patients dropping therapy, poses a significant scientific and public health challenge. The campaign emphasizes improved diagnostics, regular follow-ups, and enhanced support systems to combat this virulent form. Understanding the bacterial nature of TB and its spread in high-density areas is crucial for effective environmental health strategies.