Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme was launched in state in 2003. (Representational)
Shillong:
Meghalaya Health and Family Welfare Minister AL Hek on Wednesday launched the “Meghalaya State Strategic Plan to eliminate Tuberculosis by 2025”.
“The vision for a tuberculosis-free state determines to decrease the TB burden in terms of incidence rate by 44 per lakh, mortality rate by 3/lakh and reducing catastrophic cost due to tuberculosis by 2025,” he said.
The Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) was launched in the state on October 2, 2003.
In the past decade, the programme has screened more than 4,74,767 presumptive TB cases, put on treatment about 76,485 and successfully treated about 63,789 patients. The success rate of RNTCP is 83 per cent.
He said that tuberculosis still remains the major health problem in the state and the country as a whole.
The minister also reminded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2018 has committed to eliminate TB by 2025, five years ahead of the sustainable development goal.
“We are racing against time, with four years left to achieve the goal I would like to call upon all stakeholders, development partners, civil society organizations, research institutions, private sector and many others whose work is relevant to TB elimination to kindly give your best effort in this mission,” he said.
The minister also called upon the citizens of the state for their active support to the programme and said, “Active community participation will lead to victory in our battle against tuberculosis.”