Union Health Ministry on 18th July signed an MoU with the Ministries of Defence, Railways and AYUSH to eliminate tuberculosis from India by 2025. 

The MoU was signed in the presence of Minister of State for Health Ashwini K Choubey and Minister of AYUSH Shripad Nayak. With four lakh new cases TB reported in the country every year, the Health Ministry along with the collective efforts of other Central government bodies plans to make India TB free. 

"We have aimed for -- TB Harega Aur Desh Jeetega. On 18th July, the Health Ministry has signed MoU with three different ministries, that is, Defence, Railways, and AYUSH to fight against TB. We have made an aggressive plan to make country TB free. We have involved all stakeholders, NGOs, and other concerned agencies to combat TB," said Union Health Minister while speaking to ANI. 

He recalled how India fought with the polio menace around 25 years back when he was the Health Minister of Delhi.  "If we can eradicate polio-like disease from our country, then eliminating TB is not difficult at all. Under the leadership of Prime Minister, we have made a target to make India TB free by 2025," he said. 

"ECHS is a flagship scheme of Ministry of Defence for ex-servicemen's welfare. The aim of the scheme is to provide quality healthcare at more than 400 polyclinics. So, now these polyclinics will identify TB cases if any and refer it for TB diagnosis," said a senior Health Ministry official. 

"As a lot of people stay at railway shelter homes. So, officials from the Railways will find out TB cases from their shelter homes and patients will be referred for further treatment," he said. Similarly, the Ministry of AYUSH will see if there is any possibility of using medicine and drugs, which can help prevent the disease. But we have to see how effective the medicine will be, he said.