15,000 new cases of TB detected: Nadda

Moscow, Nov 16 :  Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda on Thursday said that under the government's initiative, over 15,000 more tuberculosis (TB) cases have been detected.

"We have already completed two campaigns covering 257 districts and screened over 30 million vulnerable persons and detected over 15,000 fresh TB cases. We are planning the next campaign in December this year. We will now be mounting interventions for TB in urban slum areas through the Urban Health Mission," said Nadda.

He was speaking at the "1st WHO Global Ministerial Conference on Ending TB in Sustainable Development Era" as India's representative.

Highlighting India's commitment to end TB, Nadda stated to provide access to patients in difficult-to-reach areas, both socially and geographically, the government had started active TB case finding campaigns in selected areas.

"India is a major manufacturer of anti-TB drugs for the world with almost 80 per cent global market share. We give only the best quality drugs to our patients, whether within the country or abroad. There is a wide scope for us to sit together and discuss seriously about promoting generic drugs for TB patients all over the world," said Nadda.

The Health Minister re-affirmed India's commitment to eliminating TB by 2025.