Tuberculosis free India: J P Nadda formulates strategy to eliminate TB by 2025

“We have implemented daily drug regimen for treating tuberculosis (TB) in five states and by the year end it will be rolled out in the entire country,” Nadda said. The new regimen helps in reducing relapse rates and number of drug-resistant TB cases.

Nadda said that at present 628 Cartridge Based Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (CBNAAT) machines are functioning in the country for quick diagnosis of TB and the ministry will procure 500 more equipments which diagnoses TB within two hours. The CBNAAT is a revolutionary rapid molecular test which detects Mycobacterium tuberculosis and rifampicin drug resistance, simultaneously.

He further said that the government will frame special programmes to combat multidrug-resistant TB. Later, in a tweet, the Minister said he met the Netherlands’ State Secretary in the Ministry of Health, to discuss possibilities of cooperation in Antimicrobial resistance (AMR).