Tamil Nadu declares 2,390 village councils TB‑free for 2025

A total of 2,390 gram panchayats in Tamil Nadu have been declared tuberculosis‑free for 2025. State TB Officer Asha Frederick said the ‘TB Free Panchayat’ drive turns TB elimination into a community‑owned effort, with local bodies helping in prevention, early detection, treatment and patient support. To earn the TB‑free label, each panchayat had to examine at least 30 presumptive cases per 1,000 people using NAAT or microscopy, keep the TB notification rate at one or fewer per 1,000, and achieve a treatment success rate of 90 % or higher among drug‑sensitive patients. Panchayat representatives, health teams and community members were honoured in district ceremonies for meeting these targets. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, together with the Ministries of Youth Affairs and Sports and Defence, launched the Joint Squad for Health (JOSH) teams nationwide. Tamil Nadu’s phase‑I rollout covers Thoothukudi, Tiruchi, Cuddalore, Dharmapuri and Theni districts. Each block‑level JOSH team is led by a Class‑I Nodal Officer and assisted by five “MY Bharat” volunteers and five NCC cadets. Dr. Frederick explained that JOSH teams will run village awareness drives, identify symptomatic individuals, refer them for free testing, and help with screening mobilisation. Teams will act as “support buddies” for patients under the Ni‑kshay Mitra scheme, push treatment adherence, provide psychosocial help and fight stigma. They will also distribute nutritional kits and link patients to welfare programs such as ration and social security.

Context

The TB‑free panchayat label reflects a push to meet India’s goal of eliminating TB by 2025. Community‑led screening and treatment support are key because early detection and high cure rates reduce transmission and prevent drug‑resistant cases.