CONTEXT:

• US envoy to India Kenneth I Juster launched a new initiative designed to help India’s corporate sector in the fight against tuberculosis (TB).
• The initiative supports the Indian government’s goal of eliminating TB by 2025, which would be 5 years ahead of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal.
• It creates a shared platform for corporations committed to ending TB in India.

BACKGROUND:

• In 1978, the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) began, giving BCG to all babies soon after birth and achieving more than 90% coverage.
• In 1993, the Revised National TB Control Programme (RNTCP) was launched, offering free diagnosis and treatment for patients, rescuing them from otherwise sure death.
• However, treatment is not prevention. Prevention is essential for control.