Dharamshala host 1st Ever TB-Free India Summit

TB-FREE INDIA SUMMIT was organized in Dharamsala on 7th and 8th April, 2017 with the initiative of Shri Anurag Thakur,

Mr. Jose Luis Castro, Executive Director, The Union addressing the gathering

Member of Parliament and The Union, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The main objective of organizing this summit was to increase awareness and momentum in fight against Tuberculosis (TB) and call to action to eliminate TB in the country by 2025, five years before the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals target of 2030. Health Kalon, Health Secretary and staff from Department of Health and Delek hospital took part in the summit.

The two-day summit had a deliberation from numerous eminent figures like Shri V P Singh Badnore, Governor of Punjab, Shri J P Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare ( MoHFW), GoI, Shri Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Union Minister ( MoS) for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, GoI, Shri Kaul Singh Thakur, MoHFW, Govt. of Himachal Pradesh, Dr Sunil Khaparde, Deputy Director General, Central TB Division , MoHFW, GoI, Mr Mark A White-Mission Director USAID India, Mr Jose Luis Castro-Executive Director, The Union, Dr Christoph Benn- Director External Relations, Global Fund, Dr Rohit Sarin, Director, National Institute of Tuberculosis & Respiratory Diseases, Dr Prahlad Kumar, Director, National Tuberculosis Institute, Dr Srikanth Prasad Tripathy, Director-in-Charge, National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis and representatives of different corporate houses and Bollywood celebrities.

Shri J P Nadda Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Govt. of India addressing the gathering

The summit brought together experts, top Indian government officials, members of parliament, Indian celebrities and representatives of corporate sector and other stakeholders such as doctors, patients, representatives of civil society and organizations working in the field of TB to discuss strategies for implementing TB control programme.

The summit was followed by a cricket match between Celebrities and Parliamentarians under the theme “Time to Bowl Out TB” which was nationally telecasted live on Doordarshan, Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha television channels.