NEW DELHI: Top Union Health Ministry officials said as many as 38 wards across 11 districts in Delhi account for over 80 per cent of the city’s high-risk TB burden, which needs precision-targeted effort.
The TB burden in the national capital was discussed in the review meeting held by Union Health Minister JP Nadda with the Delhi government and the various civic agencies. Nadda also discussed the 100 Day TB campaign and the progress in the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan.
At the meeting, officials said that Delhi has screened 28.83 lakh people, conducted 21.67 lakh chest X-rays, 3.65 lakh molecular (Nucleic Acid Amplification Test - NAAT) tests, and notified 1.75 lakh TB patients.
At the meeting, Aradhana Patnaik, Additional Secretary and Mission Director, National Health Mission (NHM), Union Health and Family Welfare ministry, suggested that Delhi should work towards providing upfront NAAT testing for all presumptive and drug-resistant TB cases alongside X-ray screening; 100% assessment of TB patients for differentiated care; the further scaling of TB preventive treatment for household contacts and other eligible vulnerable groups to prevent new cases.
She also suggested the continued expansion of Ni-kshay Mitras and MY Bharat volunteers to provide the psychosocial support that often determines treatment adherence.
The top official also encouraged Delhi to strengthen its coordination with Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs), ward committees and elected representatives.
She noted that AI-driven vulnerability mapping, using more than 30 region-specific indicators, has identified 1.58 lakh high-risk villages and wards nationally, while for Delhi, they have narrowed the focus to 38 wards across 11 districts that together account for over 80 per cent of the city’s high-risk burden.
Nadda in the meeting emphasised that while significant efforts have been made under the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, the remaining gap between efforts and outcomes can only be bridged through Jan Bhagidari.
He said that tuberculosis elimination cannot be achieved by the health system in isolation and called for a people's movement with active participation from communities, public representatives and civil society.
He stressed that MPs, MLAs and Councillors should be regularly apprised by health officials about the TB burden in their respective constituencies, the challenges being faced, the solutions being implemented and the specific role they can play in accelerating case detection, ensuring treatment adherence and mobilising community support.
He noted that public representatives are an important bridge between the government and the people, and their active involvement can significantly strengthen grassroots implementation of the campaign.
Nadda underlined that implementation should be based on cooperation rather than working in isolation.
He directed that every ward should have a designated senior government officer to monitor the progress of the campaign and called for greater participation of MY Bharat volunteers to strengthen grassroots mobilisation and community outreach.
Highlighting the role of technology in strengthening TB detection, the minister said that support would be provided for more handheld X-ray machines integrated with Artificial Intelligence (AI) to facilitate early diagnosis and improve case detection.
He also emphasised the need for close coordination between the ministry, the state government, district administration, healthcare institutions and frontline workers to ensure effective implementation of the TB campaign.
Nadda also stressed that all communication related to the campaign should be conveyed in simple, easily understandable language to ensure wider public outreach and participation.
He directed that regular joint review meetings be convened involving hospitals, state health authorities and the ministry to review progress, address implementation challenges and facilitate the timely exchange of best practices.
The minister also stressed that sustained coordination, collective ownership and Jan Bhagidari will be critical to achieving the shared national goal of a TB-Mukt Bharat.
The meeting was attended by Dr Harsh Malhotra, Union Minister of State for the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and Corporate Affairs and Lok Sabha MP from East Delhi; Dr Pankaj Kumar Singh, Delhi Health Minister; Parvesh Wahi, MCD Mayor; and Directors of central government hospitals like AIIMS, Safdarjung Hospital, Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital, and Lady Hardinge Medical College.