image credit- PIB
Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, addressed the 35th Board meeting of the Stop TB Partnership through video-conference, on 19 May.
Emphasizing on strengthening TB prevention activities, Dr Mandaviya announced that “starting later this year we will introduce a newly approved “made in India” TB infection skin test called ‘c-TB’”, stating that this cost-effective tool will be of immense benefit to other high burden countries as well.
"Several new initiatives have been taken in India to turn the crisis into an opportunity, such as ‘bidirectional testing’ of TB with Covid-19, house-to-house TB detection campaigns, scale up of rapid molecular diagnostics at sub-district levels, use of Artificial Intelligence and Digital tools, Jan Andolan (peoples’ movement) and most importantly decentralization of TB services to Ayushman Bharat Health & Wellness Centres as part of comprehensive primary healthcare”, he added.
