Guwahati: In a significant move to promote community participation in health initiatives, Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya today adopted 100 tuberculosis (TB) patients from Kamrup Metro and Nagaon districts under the Ni-kshay Mitra initiative of the National Tuberculosis Elimination Program (NTEP). The event was held at Raj Bhavan, Guwahati, where the Governor also distributed food baskets to five TB patients and felicitated five Ni-kshay Mitras and five TB Champions for their contributions in the fight against TB.
Highlighting the importance of collective effort, Governor Acharya stressed that TB remains a major public health challenge in India, but sustained community engagement and emotional support are as crucial as medical treatment. He described the adoption of 100 patients as a personal commitment to the cause, urging large-scale participation to achieve a TB-free India, a vision strongly promoted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi through a national Jan Andolan.
Governor Acharya lauded Assam’s progress in TB care, noting that testing rates have risen from 842 per lakh population in 2022 to 2,915 per lakh, with treatment success at 90%. Integration of AI-based tools like Prediction of Adverse TB Outcomes (PATO) has further improved early detection and patient outcomes, reducing TB mortality from 3.1% to 2.4%.
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Since the launch of Ni-kshay Mitra in September 2022, Assam has registered over 21,600 volunteers, providing holistic support to TB patients. The Governor emphasized that compassion, solidarity, and public participation are vital alongside medical care to restore health and dignity, inspiring more individuals and institutions to contribute to a TB Mukt Bharat.
The programme was attended by senior officials from Raj Bhavan, the National Health Mission, and the State TB Cell, NTEP Assam.
