New Delhi: Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, stated that their aim is to reach key populations served by various ministries such as workers, miners, migrants, tribal population, women and children. The minister added that they want to create a Jan Andolan (people’s movement) by every section of the society for ending tuberculosis (TB) in India.
“The multisectoral action is one of the key strategies which makes a strong case for transforming India’s TB elimination efforts from a siloed health sector response to a holistic approach,” Harsh Vardhan said, speaking on occasion.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare(HFW) exchanged Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) with the Ministry of AYUSH, Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Railways on 18 Jul, to forge inter-sectoral convergence and efforts towards TB-free India by 2025.
The MoU outlines the scope and extent of AYUSH involvement in sensitization, awareness generation, capacity building of AYUSH institutions, and health service providers in the areas of TB diagnosis, control, and management. It also focuses on joint planning to work with AYUSH organisations & professional bodies and promote adjuvant use of evidence-based AYUSH interventions for, TB control and management.
It is also intended to facilitate research collaboration and best practices of AYUSH healthcare and build up capacities for TB-free workplaces and communities. Both ministries will appoint nodal officers for development of implementation plan, modalities of operationalization, and steering the collaboration activities outlined in the MoU.
The MoU was signed by Secretary (HFW), Preeti Sudan and Secretary AYUSH, Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Joint Secretary (HFW) Vikas Sheel with Executive Director (Railways) K Sridhar, and Col Bal Singh Sisodia (Defence) respectively.
Along with Harsh Vardhan, Shripad Yesso Naik, Union Minister of State for AYUSH and Minister of State for Defence and Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Minister of State (HFW) was also present at the event.
