Pi Lalrinpuii, Hon’ble Health Minister, Pu H. Lalengmawia, Commissioner & Secretary, Health Department Officials, invitees, dear friends.

I welcome all of you at the Raj Bhavan for this important programme on the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (TB Eradication campaign).

The Government of India has decided to eliminate tuberculosis from India by 2025, which is 5 years ahead of the global target of 2030. We are past midway in 2025. Hence, it is imperative that we do everything in our power to make sure that this ambitious goal is achieved.

The National TB Elimination Programme has come a long way since its inception as the National TB Programme in 1962. Since then, our diagnostic techniques, our treatments, and how we view the disease has evolved and improved considerably.

It may seem counterintuitive that the number of TB cases has also risen since then, but diagnosing all TB cases in a community is necessary to break the chain of transmission.

Today, the Government of India is providing free TB services including diagnosis, drugs and follow up examinations. Beyond this, it is also providing incentives to healthcare providers, patients and treatment supporters. It also extends nutritional support to patients through Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana with Rs 1000 per month for the whole duration of their treatment.

It is heartening to note that Mizoram is also making progress in this fight against TB. There are many public and private hospitals in the state that are well equipped to handle tuberculosis, many of which have facilities for RT-PCR based tests like CBNAAT and Truenat, and Ultra Portable Hand Held X Rays which are AI-enabled.

Tests like Liquid Culture, which in previous years needed to be done in Guwahati and Imphal, can now be done in our very own Culture & Drug Susceptibility Testing Laboratory.

The PM TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan was launched by the Hon’ble President of India in 2022, with the objectives to provide additional support to TB patients in order to improve treatment outcomes, augment community involvement and leverage CSR activities. This initiative was launched to bring together people from all backgrounds into a mass movement (Jan Andolan) and escalate the progress toward TB elimination.

The PM TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan is also commonly associated with the Food Basket. Under this initiative, all partners including co-operative societies, corporates, elected representatives, NGOs, public and private institutions, political parties and individuals, are encouraged to adopt TB patients through the Nikshay Mitra initiative.

TB patients can be supported with Rs. 4200 for a minimum period of 6 months, through which they will receive Food Baskets containing essential macro and micro nutrients, to ensure that they get the required quantities of nutrition during their battle with TB.

Mizoram has a small population of around 13 lakhs only. In our state, we have 1,501 TB patients who are currently on treatment. However, of these, only 117 patients are being supported with Food Baskets by 76 Ni-kshay Mitras across the state. Organisations like NEDFi, individuals like Dr Laxmi Narayan, and of course our Hon’ble Health Minister, all of whom we have felicitated today, have set exemplary standards. I have been told that there are also other MLAs who are supporting as many as 10- 13 TB patients.

Since this Food Basket scheme is a Community Engagement activity that requires the involvement of stakeholders, let us utilize all opportunities so that we can provide 100% of our TB patients with Food Baskets. I was also supporting patients as MP in Ghaziabad.

Through concerted effort, I truly believe that it is possible for Mizoram to become the first TB-free state in the country. We have a very vibrant civil society, with NGOs such as the YMA and others having branches in all the towns and villages.

The religious bodies can also play a vital role, as we have local churches in every nook and corner of the state. If all of us, including NGOs, religious bodies, and individuals come together, we can easily provide nutritional support to all the TB patients in the state through the Nikshay Mitra programme.

It is my earnest appeal to all stakeholders in Mizoram, Let us join our hands and renew our vigour in our fight against tuberculosis. Let us ensure that the PM TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan becomes a successful community movement.

I request all co-operative societies, corporates, elected representatives, NGOs, religious bodies, public and private institutions, political parties and individuals to provide support to TB patients through the Food Baskets.

TB Harega Desh Jeetega (TB will lose and Country will win)

Ka lawm e. Jai Hind.