The Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan has been appointed as a Chairman of ‘Stop TB Partnership Board’. The appointment has been made to recognize his contribution to the movement to eradicate Tuberculosis (TB) from India by 2025.
According to the official release, the appointment of Dr. Harsh Vardhan as the Chairman of this prestigious global body is a proud recognition of India’s political commitment to eradicate TB.
The release added that the participation of a wide range of constituencies gives this international body the broad range and credibility of social, medical, and financial expertise required to defeat TB.
The Health Minister will serve a three-year term as the Chairman of ‘Stop TB Partnership Board’, starting from July 2021.
Honoured to take on the prestigious role of Chair of @StopTB !
— Dr Harsh Vardhan (@drharshvardhan) March 17, 2021
It shall be my privilege to work alongside TB champions from across the world & steer collaborative efforts to eliminate TB on a global, regional & national level.@PMOIndia @MoHFW_INDIA @TBHDJ @AyushmanNHA @WHO https://t.co/NXXOtaIgps
What is ‘Stop TB Partnership’?
It is a unique international body with the power to bring together actors all over the world in the fight against Tuberculosis. The vision of this international partnership is a TB-free world.
Stop TB Partnership was established in 2000 and has been mandated to eliminate TB as a public health problem. The organization was first formulated after the meeting of the First Session of the Ad Hoc Committee on Tuberculosis Epidemic in London in 1998.
Stop TB Partnership: Key Details
• In its inaugural year, the international body through the Amsterdam Declaration gave a call for collaborative action from the delegations of ministers from 20 countries that bear the highest burden of Tuberculosis.
• Stop TB partnership has 1,500 partner organizations which include non-governmental, international, patient groups, and governmental organizations.
• The Secretariat of Stop TB Partnership is based in Geneva, Switzerland.
Harsh Vardhan at a board meeting of partnership in 2020:
The Union Health Minister addressed the 33rd Board Meeting of Stop TB Partnership in November 2020. In his address, he highlighted India’s commitment to eliminating TB in the country by the year 2025, which is five years ahead of the international deadline 2030.
The Union Minister has also played a significant role in creating awareness regarding TB and has been a strong votary of turning the fight against disease into a Jan Andolan, people’s movement.
India’s plan for TB elimination:
The Indian government’s National Strategic Plan for TB elimination 2017-2025 outlines targets and an ambitious agenda which exceeds even the one set by the World Health organization’s End TB Strategy for the World.
The COVID-19 pandemic has also renewed the government’s focus on airborne communicable diseases in the country, with heavy investment being prioritized for public health care.
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