NEW DELHI, Oct 8: Union Health Minister J P Nadda on Thursday launched the Joint Squad for Health (JOSH) initiative, bringing together more than 58,000 youth volunteers to strengthen India’s efforts to eliminate tuberculosis (TB).
Nadda said the country was close to achieving its TB elimination goal and called for a final push through greater public participation, early detection and improved access to treatment.
Speaking at the national launch at Bharat Mandapam, he highlighted India’s progress in tackling the disease, noting that TB incidence had declined by 21 per cent, compared with a 12 per cent reduction globally. Treatment coverage in India has reached 92 per cent, against the global figure of 78 per cent.
“We have reached very close to the target. We need to give the last push now,” Nadda said.
The minister stressed that government efforts alone would not be sufficient to achieve the objective, underlining the importance of community participation and grassroots workers. He said elected representatives, including MPs, MLAs, mayors and councillors, had already been involved in awareness and mobilisation programmes.
The JOSH initiative has been developed in consultation with Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth, with support from the youth affairs, sports and defence sectors.
Under the programme, My Bharat volunteers and National Cadet Corps (NCC) cadets will work at district and block levels to improve public awareness, identify suspected cases and encourage patients to complete their treatment.
Nadda said the campaign would cover the entire spectrum of TB control, including prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, active case detection and the identification of people who may have the disease without displaying obvious symptoms.
Highlighting the role of technology, he said handheld X-ray machines equipped with artificial intelligence tools could help identify individuals requiring further examination. Molecular diagnostic tests can also detect TB and determine whether the infection is drug-resistant, enabling doctors to select appropriate treatment.
The minister emphasised that tuberculosis is curable and referred to the shorter BPaLM treatment regimen for drug-resistant TB, which can be completed in six months for eligible patients.
He urged volunteers to coordinate with Nikshay volunteers, activists and Nikshay Mitras to ensure that patients receive medicines, nutritional assistance and counselling throughout their treatment.
Nikshay is India’s web-based tuberculosis patient management and surveillance platform. Nadda said the government provides financial assistance of Rs 1,000 per month to TB patients, alongside free medicines and nutritional support.
“Our work is to detect cases and ensure that they get medicines as well as nutrition,” he said.
The initiative will initially cover all blocks in 55 districts across 11 states. According to Nadda, the activities of JOSH teams will be documented in real time through a dedicated feature on the TB Mukt Bharat application.
The digital system will facilitate monitoring of field activities, with information made available to Class-I officers through the app.
Nadda also highlighted progress at the village level, stating that 67,933 gram panchayats had been declared TB-free. He credited health workers, elected representatives and local communities for contributing to the achievement.
Mandaviya said tuberculosis, once associated with considerable social stigma, had become a treatable disease because of advances in medical care. He added that the government had adopted a people-centred approach to public health, linking healthcare improvements with the broader development agenda.
He said JOSH teams would help locate suspected patients, support their nutritional needs and encourage them to take medicines regularly. Mandaviya expressed confidence that coordinated efforts by the government, young volunteers and communities could help India eliminate TB ahead of the global target of 2030.
Seth said the programme would transform the campaign into a people’s movement. He put the participation at 30,959 My Bharat volunteers and 27,147 NCC cadets, taking the combined strength to more than 58,000.
He urged citizens not to conceal symptoms, avoid testing out of fear, discontinue treatment or discriminate against people affected by the disease.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, welcoming the initiative, said a healthy population was essential for building a developed and prosperous India. She noted that the programme brought together the health, youth and defence sectors to mobilise citizens for the national campaign.
The event also felicitated district level TB Mukt Panchayats. A total of 67,933 panchayats across 697 districts were declared TB-free in 2026, reflecting efforts to strengthen awareness, prevention, early diagnosis and treatment at the grassroots level.
Officials said the initiative would rely on sustained coordination among healthcare personnel, local administrations, elected representatives and volunteers to expand screening, support patients and accelerate progress towards a TB-free India.