New Delhi, March 23 (IANS) The government is set to commemorate World Tuberculosis (TB) Day 2026 with a national event on March 24, to showcase key achievements, innovative strategies, and strengthened community engagement under the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP), according to an official statement on Monday.

The event will be held at Gautam Buddha University in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, and "highlight India’s accelerated progress towards the elimination of TB, in line with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a TB-Mukt Bharat," the statement from Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said.

Union Health Minister JP Nadda will flag off the "focused and intensified 'TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan – 100 Days Campaign' and launch the TB Mukt Bharat App and the TB Mukt Urban Ward Initiative.

These initiatives will accelerate case detection, improve treatment adherence and strengthen last‑mile delivery of TB services especially in high-burden areas, the statement added.

"These efforts resonate strongly with the theme of World TB Day 2026 — “Yes! We Can End TB!” and reflect India’s renewed commitment to intensifying the fight against TB," it said.

The event will bring together ministers, senior Union and State government officials, public health experts, development partners, healthcare professionals and community representatives.

The event will reaffirm the nation’s commitment to intensifying multi-sectoral collaboration and adopting evidence-based strategies to eliminate TB, it noted.

Shorter, six‑month all‑oral treatment regimens for multidrug‑resistant and rifampicin‑resistant tuberculosis (MDR/RR‑TB) are cost‑effective and deliver better health outcomes than longer regimens, the government had recently said.

Citing an ICMR Study, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said that with shorter regimen, "for each additional Quality Adjusted Life Year (QALY) gained, the health system spends Rs 379 less per patient compared to the standard regimen, indicating better health outcomes at lower costs."

—IANS

aar/na