Over 9 lakh tuberculosis (TB) patients across the country have consented for community support under the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, the Union Health and Family Welfare Minister said on September 16.

Of the total 9,42,321 patients who have agreed for support from well-wishers, the maximum number is from Uttar Pradesh accounting for 2,05,340, followed by Maharashtra 1,07,171 and Madhya Pradesh 91,024. Lakshadweep accounted for the lowest of 9 patients. As many as 1,680 patients in Tamil Nadu have given their consent for support.

"About 13,51,725 TB patients are already undergoing treatment with government support. With the States committing to end this deadliest infectious disease, we hope to achieve the Prime Minister's goal of TB-free India by 2025," the Union Minister said virtually addressing the media from New Delhi.

The Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan is the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry's latest initiative and it was launched a week ago.

It encourages the donor (Ni-kshay Mitra) who can be an individual, corporate, non-governmental organisation (NGO), political party or institute to provide additional patient support to improve treatment outcomes of TB patients like nutritional support, additional investigations for diagnosed patients and vocational support, among others, for a minimum period of 6 months to 1 or 2 years.

The prevalence of TB is 312 per 1,00,000 population in the country and Delhi was estimated to have the highest prevalence of 747 per 1,00,000 population while Gujarat had the lowest of 137, as per the National TB Prevalence Survey of India 2019 - 21.