NEW DELHI: With the aim to strengthen youth-led community participation in making India TB free, the centre on Thursday launched JOSH or Joint Squad for Health Teams, which will spread awareness on TB symptoms, preventive measures, early diagnosis and completing treatment.
Describing the launch of JOSH Teams as a significant milestone in India’s collective fight against tuberculosis, Union Health and Family Welfare Minister, JP Nadda, said the country’s efforts towards a TB Mukt Bharat have evolved from a conventional health programme into a people’s movement, with Jan Bhagidari and community ownership emerging as the defining pillars of the national response.
He emphasised that the goal of eliminating TB cannot be achieved by government interventions alone and requires the active participation of communities, citizens, elected representatives, frontline workers and, particularly, the youth of the country.
India had aimed to eliminate TB by 2025, ahead of the 2030 goal. India has now undertaken various steps to meet the global deadline.
Stressing that India is now closer to its goal, Nadda called for a determined and sustained final push to take the country across the finish line.
The JOSH initiative, which is being implemented by the Union Health Ministry in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and the Ministry of Defence, with the participation of the Delhi Government, seeks to harness the energy, outreach and commitment of young people to take the message of TB prevention, early diagnosis, timely treatment and stigma reduction to communities across the country.
Highlighting the importance of youth-led action, Nadda said that the energy, commitment and outreach of young people can give a new momentum to the TB elimination movement.
He said that while the ministry has progressively involved elected representatives and community leadership in the campaign, the scale and complexity of the challenge demand a much wider network of committed volunteers working directly with communities.
Nadda said that JOSH Teams, which will comprise five MY Bharat Volunteers and five NCC Cadets and will be led by a designated Class-I officer at the Block/Ward level, will represent an effort to bring together the government, communities and citizens in a coordinated and sustained manner.
The initiative is being launched in the first phase across 11 states and will progressively expand its grassroots presence.
Calling upon NCC Cadets and MY Bharat Volunteers to become ambassadors of the TB Mukt Bharat movement, he urged them to take the message of prevention, early testing, timely treatment and stigma reduction to every household and community.
Nadda emphasised that the initiative is intended not merely to disseminate information, but to create meaningful conversations within communities, build trust, address apprehensions and ensure that people are encouraged to come forward for timely testing and treatment.
He stressed that India’s TB elimination strategy must go beyond awareness and screening to encompass the entire continuum of care.
“Awareness is important, screening is important, but our responsibility does not end there. We must ensure diagnosis, treatment and treatment completion,” he said.
He underlined the need to strengthen active case finding so that individuals who may be living with TB without recognising their symptoms can be identified early and connected to appropriate care.
Early detection, he noted, is equally important for preventing further transmission and protecting the health of families and communities.
Underscoring the importance of active case finding, he said that there are people who may be living with TB without being aware of their condition and may consequently remain outside the formal healthcare system.
“Identifying such individuals at the earliest possible stage is critical not only to ensuring timely treatment but also to interrupting transmission within families and communities,” he added.
He called upon the JOSH Teams to play an important role in identifying vulnerable populations, facilitating community-level outreach and encouraging people with symptoms or concerns to come forward for testing.
Highlighting India’s progress in the fight against TB, Nadda referred to the latest World Health Organization report and noted that TB incidence in India has declined by 21 per cent, compared to a 12 per cent decline globally.
He further said that India’s TB treatment coverage has risen to 92 per cent, significantly higher than the global treatment coverage of 78 per cent.
He said that India’s progress, which is ahead of the global trend both in reducing TB incidence and expanding access to treatment, reflects the sustained and intensified efforts undertaken under the national TB elimination programme.
At the same time, he cautioned that these gains must not lead to complacency.
“India has made significant progress, but the momentum must be sustained and efforts further intensified to ensure that every person with TB is diagnosed, provided timely treatment and supported through the course of care, thereby advancing the country’s collective resolve towards a TB Mukt Bharat,” the minister said.
He highlighted the growing role of technology and innovation in strengthening the country’s TB response.
“India is increasingly leveraging technology to take screening and diagnosis closer to communities and make them faster and more accessible,” he said, and referred to the use of portable X-ray machines supported by Artificial Intelligence-based tools that help identify individuals showing signs suggestive of TB and determine whether further investigation is warranted.
Calling upon volunteers to build meaningful conversations within communities, Nadda urged JOSH Teams to listen to people, address their concerns and help dispel the fear and stigma associated with TB.
“TB is preventable and curable and no person affected by the disease should face discrimination or social isolation,” he added.
He urged the volunteers to promote healthy behaviours, including hygiene, healthy lifestyles and awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco and substance use.
The teams will work at district and block levels, supported by digital mechanisms for monitoring and implementation. He expressed confidence that this youth-led initiative will help identify gaps, strengthen outreach and ensure that TB-related services reach those who remain outside the formal healthcare system.
Speaking at the occasion, Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, said that the vision of a “Swasth Nagarik, Swasth Samaj, Swasth Desh” can be realised when citizens actively contribute towards building a healthier society.
Referring to the World Health Organization’s goal of eliminating TB by 2030, Dr. Mandaviya said that India is spearheading efforts towards this objective and is determined to achieve the goal ahead of the global timeline.
He emphasised that India, as one of the world’s youngest major nations, recognises the immense potential of its youth and the importance of providing them with the right mentorship, guidance and opportunities to contribute to nation-building.
Mandaviya expressed confidence that with sustained efforts across all levels, India will realise its aspiration of becoming TB-free before 2030 and demonstrate to the world the strength of a youth-led movement against tuberculosis.
Welcoming the national launch of the JOSH Teams, Delhi Chief Minister, Rekha Gupta, said that the initiative marks an important step towards strengthening India’s efforts to eliminate tuberculosis by taking the campaign directly to communities.
She said that young volunteers can help take awareness about prevention, early detection and treatment to communities and motivate people to seek timely care, while also helping address the stigma associated with the disease.
Minister of State for Defence, Sanjay Seth, said that the fight against TB must reach every village, settlement and household, particularly those where fear and stigma may prevent people from seeking timely care.
He emphasised that TB is preventable and curable and urged JOSH Teams to build confidence among communities, encourage people to come forward for testing and support patients in completing their treatment.
He said that no person should have to hide their symptoms or fight the disease alone.