The Union Health Minister J. P. Nadda on April 17 said 'TB Champions' who survived tuberculosis should be identified to raise awareness about the curable disease for a TB free India by 2025.

Reviewing the status of leprosy and tuberculosis in the country, he said there is an urgent need for creating awareness in the community and he was of the view that "TB Champions who survived tuberculosis may be identified to raise awareness about TB in various states", said a Health Ministry statement. Taking stock of the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program (RNTCP), Nadda urged all stakeholders to come together for an aggressive strategy for TB free India by 2025 and suggested that innovative approaches should be adopted to address the disease.

TB awareness and case detection should be addressed through campaign mode and should be made into a mass movement, he said. "The Health Minister also directed the officers to conduct regular supervisory visits to various states for assessing the situation, preparedness and to provide on the spot technical guidance to the state health authorities," said the statement. Chairing the high level meeting to review the status of the National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP), he stressed on a comprehensive strategy for addressing incidence, prevalence and surveillance aspects to eliminate leprosy at the district level.

Nadda further directed the officials to take up new interventions in areas where the prevalence is high and mount aggressive information, education and communication campaigns to enhance awareness on prevention and control of leprosy in the states and to destigmatise it.