CS Commended for Dedicated Efforts to Achieve a TB-Free J&K by End of 2025

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 24: Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo convened a meeting with the Health & Medical Education (H&ME) Department, urging all involved to work diligently towards achieving a Tuberculosis (TB) free Jammu and Kashmir by the end of 2025, as part of the PM TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan initiative.
In addition to the H&ME Secretary, attendees included the Principal GMCs of Jammu and Srinagar, the Managing Director of JKMSCL, the Directors of Health for Jammu and Kashmir, along with the State TB Officers from both regions and other relevant officials.
The Chief Secretary underscored the importance of proactive contact tracing, comprehensive testing, and community engagement to eliminate TB from the region.
He also recommended the effective use of ASHA workers, women SHG members of JKRLM, and other local organizations to identify affected individuals and facilitate diagnostic sample collection.
Regarding awareness campaigns, Dulloo urged the department to disseminate bulk messages to families of TB patients to raise awareness and encourage proper health care.
He further instructed regular checks on Health & Wellness Centres and Ayushman Aarogya Mandirs to ensure compliance in sample collection from their service areas. Senior department officials were also asked to visit TB facilities across J&K.
During the meeting, Secretary H&ME Dr. Syed Abid Rashid Shah presented an overview of the TB situation in the region alongside the objectives of the ongoing PMTBMB campaign.
He noted that J&K has approximately 11,650 TB patients receiving free treatment through various district facilities. Additionally, these patients are supported with ₹1000 per month under the Nikshay Poshan Yojana and food baskets for 6,146 individuals through 5,406 Nikshay Mitras who agreed to participate in community support.
Furthermore, the districts of Anantnag, Budgam, and Pulwama have been declared ‘TB Free’, while Baramulla, Srinagar, Bandipora, Kupwara, Kulgam, Shopian, and Ganderbal have submitted requests for similar recognition for Sub-National Certification.
This year, approximately 463,872 presumptive tests have been conducted against a target of 486,887 (1,000 per lakh of population), equating to roughly 3,047 tests per lakh.
Among the 4,243 Panchayats, 1,516 have been certified ‘TB Free’. Moreover, a ‘100-Days TB Campaign’ launched on December 7 aims to conduct Ni-Kshay Shivirs, targeting 347 high-priority districts across India, including Jammu, Srinagar, and Baramulla, under the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP).
The campaign’s goals include enhancing TB case detection within vulnerable populations, lowering TB mortality rates through improved case management, and preventing new infections through targeted interventions in high-burden districts.