Centre working to eliminate tuberculosis by 2025 : Harsh Vardhan

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said that the Centre has already started working to eliminate tuberculosis from the country by 2025 as the Mission Indradhanush is already operational for the purpose.

Kolkata (West Bengal): The Centre is working to eliminate tuberculosis from the country by 2025 and Mission Indradhanush is already operational for the purpose, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Saturday said.

The government is also working to eradicate several other diseases like kala-azar and measles from the country, he said.

"By 2025, we wish to eliminate tuberculosis from India. We have ambitious plans of universal immunisation programmes delivered to 100 per cent people all over the country ... And for that 'Mission Indradhanush' is already running," Harsh Vardhan told reporters on the sidelines of a programme in Kolkata.

"We are also working for the elimination of many other diseases in the country like Kala-azar and measles," he said.

Launched in 2014, Mission Indradhanush is a health mission of the central government seeking to drive towards 90 per cent immunisation coverage in the country.

The union minister said, "We have a very ambitious programme in terms of Ayushman Bharat. By the end of 2022 we propose to set up 1.5 lakh health and wellness centre all over the country. Already 30,000 are being set up and by March-end we will have around 40,000 centres".

The union minister, however, did not take any question on the government's plan to deal with the novel coronavirus.

(PTI)