The conference underlined that undernutrition along with its engendered pattern is an important and established risk factor for the progression of latent TB infection to active TB
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated the National Parliamentary Conference on Tuberculosis among Women in the presence of Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Smriti Z Irani, Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare and Munjapara Mahendrabhai, Minister of State for Women and Child Development.
The conference underlined that undernutrition along with its engendered pattern is an important and established risk factor for the progression of latent TB infection to active TB. Therefore, the battling of TB stigma, ensuring that women actively seek and complete TB care along with adequate nutritional support, and ensuring that there is whole-of-society participation in achieving the goal to eliminate TB by 2025 were highlighted.
The Vice President urged everyone to make efforts towards ensuring good nutrition, clean air and addressing social stigmas associated with the disease.
Addressing the occasion, Dr Mandaviya said, “TB is one of the major public health challenges for India. Each year, it is estimated that over 24.8 lakh new TB cases emerge in the country, with an estimated more than 4 lakh people succumbing to the disease annually. Over 10 lakh women and girls, and more than 3 lakh children are affected with TB each year in the country. The problem gets further compounded with a higher risk of this disease among women during pregnancy and postpartum period with adverse impact on foetus and infants.”
On the staunch political commitment to end the disease, he noted, “India is committed to ending TB by 2025, five years ahead of the global Sustainable Development Goals target of 2030. Recognizing the need for accelerated and sustained focus to achieve the target of a TB Free India, the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare had launched the ‘TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan’ aimed at mass awareness generation and successive behaviour change of the community.”
He underscored that 65 per cent of the cases are in the age group of 25 to 55 when people are the most productive and probably the only source of family income which accords the elimination of the disease a top priority. “The entire Cabinet is working using a Total Approach to eliminate TB by 2025,” he added lauding the initiative of the WCD Ministry in organising the conference.
In this regard, he flagged the collaboration of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and the Ministry of Women & Child Development and noted that ‘Sankalp’ is the road and foundation to ‘Siddhi’. He expressed his hope that strengthening synergy and convergence at the ground level will provide the much-needed acceleration towards ending TB in the country by 2025.
Irani began her address by highlighting that the current societal stigma to TB has ensured that 6.9 lakh women were fighting not only TB but for their self-respect in the last year. She ended her speech by thanking all the healthcare workers, TB champions, partner ministries and the partner agencies in the following words
Indevar Pandey, Secretary WCD and Rajesh Bhushan, Secretary (Health) were also present on the occasion.
