Gujarat meets TB detection target: Over 91 pc recovery rate under national elimination drive

Gandhinagar, March 23 (IANS) Gujarat has achieved 94 per cent of its tuberculosis (TB) detection target set by NITI Aayog and recorded a clinical recovery rate of 91.74 per cent, according to data released by the state health department ahead of World TB Day.

Highlighting its progress in the National TB Elimination Campaign, officials said that the state identified and registered 1,31,801 tuberculosis patients in 2025 against a target of 1,40,000.

Of these, 1,25,301 patients were placed under active treatment, and 1,21,912 completed their treatment following continuous medical follow-up.

The government said the progress reflects ongoing efforts aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a ‘TB-Free India’.

"Under Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, the state has worked towards meeting targets related to TB registration and treatment," officials noted.

Highlighting the challenges associated with long-duration treatment, the government said, “TB is a disease that requires prolonged treatment. As a result, patients often discontinue treatment midway due to financial burden.”

It added that, to address this, financial assistance was provided to support patients throughout treatment.

In 2025, a total of Rs 49.10 crore was disbursed to 92,921 TB patients under the 'Nikshay Poshan Yojana', which provides each patient with Rs 1,000 per month to ensure adequate nutrition during treatment.

The state has also integrated community participation into its programme.

In this regard, the government said, “Gujarat has successfully linked healthcare support with public participation.”

A total of 31,058 'Nikshay Mitras', comprising community volunteers and sponsors, have been registered on the national portal, of whom 10,682 are active.

These volunteers have distributed more than 4.49 lakh nutrition kits to patients.

Alongside treatment and support measures, the state has carried out large-scale screening as part of the central government's 100-day intensive TB elimination campaign launched in December 2024.

The government said, “Leading the ‘100-day Intensive TB Elimination Campaign’, the state carried out large-scale door-to-door screening.”

As of March 20, 75.39 lakh people have been screened for tuberculosis in Gujarat.

The exercise led to the identification of 1,63,426 new cases, which have been brought under active treatment.

Officials said early identification through proactive screening has enabled patients to be linked to treatment before the disease becomes severe or spreads further within communities, contributing to improved outcomes under the campaign.

--IANS

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