The declaration was formalized at the conclusion of a two-day ministerial meeting titled ‘Sustain, Accelerate, and Innovate to end TB in the South-East Asia Region.’

Member countries of the WHO South-East Asia Region have united under the Gandhinagar Declaration, pledging intensified efforts to eradicate Tuberculosis by 2030. This commitment comes as the region shoulders an alarming burden, accounting for nearly half of all worldwide TB cases and fatalities.

The declaration was formalized at the conclusion of a two-day ministerial meeting titled ‘Sustain, Accelerate, and Innovate to end TB in the South-East Asia Region.’

Health Ministers from Member States of the WHO South-East Asia Region, including Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and others, participated in the meeting.

Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, India’s Health Minister, in his key note address emphasized the pivotal role of collective and collaborative efforts within South East Asian countries to conquer TB.

The meeting was co-chaired by Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO.

Table of Contents

India’s TB reduction progress

Dr Mandaviya talked about India’s strategic use of data-driven decisions, exemplified by a locally developed mathematical model for estimating TB burden. He said India achieved a 13 percent reduction in TB incidence and a 15 percent decrease in mortality between 2015 and 2022, surpassing global averages.

India’s Health Minister said the impact of enhanced private sector engagement, which led to a sevenfold increase in TB notifications over the past decade, is immense.

Dr Mandaviya outlined several measures, including the implementation of a family-centric care model and the introduction of ‘Ni-kshay Mitras’ under the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan. These mechanisms provide additional nutritional, diagnostic, and vocational support to TB patients. He also highlighted the Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana initiative, delivering monthly nutritional support to TB patients through Direct Benefit Transfer. This initiative has successfully disbursed over $244 million to 7.5 million TB patients.

WHO DG commends India

Dr Tedros praised the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya for their significant strides toward ending TB. He commended India for its innovative approach, multi-sector partnerships, and funding initiatives aimed at eradicating TB, serving as an inspiration to other nations.

Despite setbacks caused by global health crises such as the pandemic, Dr Tedros emphasized the potential of new tools to accelerate TB testing, treatment, and recovery.

WHO’s call for action

Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director of WHO South-East Asia, emphasized the pressing need for action, highlighting the profound impact of TB on health, livelihoods, and well-being.

The Gandhinagar Declaration calls for the establishment of high-level multi-sectoral commissions, overseen by top political leaders in each nation, to streamline efforts among diverse stakeholders and to monitor progress toward ending TB and addressing other pressing health concerns.

Singh said: “These high-level multisectoral commission on TB could also help build responsive health systems and advance universal health coverage and health security.” She added that during the COVID pandemic, TB infrastructure was rapidly deployed for infection diagnosis and containment.

One of the declaration’s central principles is ensuring the equitable and human rights-based delivery of TB services. This commitment entails making these services accessible to all, regardless of social, cultural, or demographic factors, through an integrated primary healthcare approach. Moreover, the declaration emphasizes allocating necessary resources to meet coverage targets for TB services and addressing the underlying social determinants to yield a broader impact across multiple diseases.

Dr Singh highlighted the progress made in allocating resources, with $1.4 billion dedicated to TB initiatives in the region in 2022, 60 percent of which originated from domestic sources. However, she stressed the need for at least $3 billion annually to ensure mission success and to sustain essential social protection programs like nutritional support.

Empowering and involving TB-affected communities is a cornerstone of the declaration, Dr Singh said while stressing the importance of genuinely listening to and engaging with these communities to glean insights and perspectives that can inform more effective interventions.

The declaration not only solidifies TB as a Flagship Priority Program for WHO but also envisions a collaborative effort encompassing various partners. These partners are urged to bolster their support to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals’ target of ending TB, AIDS, malaria, neglected tropical diseases, and other communicable diseases.

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