Guwahati, Oct 23: Assam Governor Gulab Chand Kataria on Wednesday adopted 100 tuberculosis (TB) patients from Kamrup Metro and Nagaon districts under the Ni-Kshay Mitra initiative, part of the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP), during a ceremony at Raj Bhavan, Guwahati.
During the event, the Governor distributed food baskets to five TB patients and felicitated five Ni-Kshay Mitras and five TB Champions for their outstanding contributions in supporting TB patients.
Governor Kataria highlighted the importance of community participation in combating TB, describing it as one of India’s major public health challenges. He emphasized that eliminating the disease requires both medical treatment and social and emotional support. The Governor also commended Prime Minister Narendra Modi for turning TB elimination into a Jan Andolan (people’s movement) and urged greater public involvement.
The Governor noted Assam’s progress in TB control, stating that the state’s TB testing rate has increased from 842 per lakh population in 2022 to 2,915 per lakh, facilitating timely diagnosis and treatment. With a treatment success rate of 90 per cent, Assam is emerging as a model for TB care.
He also highlighted the integration of AI-based tools, such as the Prediction of Adverse TB Outcomes (PATO), which helps predict complications early and improve patient outcomes. The state’s TB mortality rate has decreased from 3.1 per cent to 2.4 per cent. Governor Kataria further praised initiatives like the 100-Day TB-Free India Campaign and awareness drives in educational institutions.
Since the launch of the Ni-Kshay Mitra programme in September 2022, over 21,600 Ni-Kshay Mitras have been registered in Assam, providing vital nutritional and emotional support to TB patients. The Governor’s adoption of 100 TB patients symbolizes a shared commitment to achieving a TB-free Assam.
The programme was attended by Health and Family Welfare Commissioner and Secretary Dr. P. Ashok Babu, Commissioner and Secretary to the Governor S.S. Meenakshi Sundaram, senior Raj Bhavan officials, and representatives from the National Health Mission and the State TB Cell, NTEP Assam.
