3 J&K districts receive gold medal for 60-80% reduction in TB cases

Anantnag, Pulwama, and Kupwara districts of Jammu and Kashmir received a gold medal under the Government of India’s National Tuberculosis Elimination Program for showing a 60-80% reduction in TB cases in the last five years.

A total of eight districts from 33 states and Union Territories in India were awarded gold medal by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. The others districts that received the medal were Malappuram and Wayanad districts of Kerala, Khargone of Madhya Pradesh, Ahmednagar of Maharashtra and Purba Medinipur district of West Bengal.

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Vivek Bhardwaj, Additional Chief Secretary, Health and Medical Education (H&ME), said in a statement, “Gold medal to three districts of Jammu & Kashmir reflects the hard work put in by the district administration and healthcare officials towards elimination of TB from the Union Territory.”

“We are aligned with the Government of India’s vision to eliminate tuberculosis from the country by 2025. This recognition of our efforts will motivate the grass root teams associated with the tuberculosis elimination program to work with greater enthusiasm”, he added. 

Baramulla, another J&K district, received the bronze medal under the programme.

The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare started the initiative of Sub-national certification of progress towards TB Free Status in 2020-21 with an aim to track the progress being made towards achieving the goal of total TB elimination by the year 2025. 

Dr. Syed Faheem Aalam, District
TB Officer, Anantnag said, that the recognition will motivate them to eliminate the disease completely in the next three years. 

“We express gratitude to the UT government
for constant guidance and support in executing TB elimination program in the
district. This recognition will motivate us further to eliminate tuberculosis
for the district completely by 2025,” he said.