Introduction
TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan is India’s intensified campaign under the National TB Elimination Programme to accelerate tuberculosis detection, treatment support, community participation, and last-mile service delivery, especially in high-burden and vulnerable areas. In March 2026, the Union Health Minister rolled out the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan 100 Days Campaign along with the TB Mukt Bharat App and the TB Mukt Urban Ward Initiative.
Institutional basis
The campaign is implemented under the National TB Elimination Programme and operates under the broader public-health framework of the National Health Mission.
Main objective
The main aim of the campaign is to move faster toward TB elimination by focusing on:
• early case detection
• improved treatment adherence
• community-based support
• active outreach in vulnerable populations
• intensified screening in high-burden areas
Main features of the current campaign
The 2026 campaign focuses on TB-vulnerable high-risk villages and wards and vulnerable population groups. The official guidance says it is implemented through a mixed approach of:
• outreach health camps
• facility-based intensified service delivery
• screening linked with TB and also non-communicable disease risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, BMI assessment, and anaemia
Diagnostic and technological approach
Recent official statements show that the campaign uses more advanced tools than conventional passive TB control.
These include:
• portable or handheld X-ray systems
• AI-enabled diagnostics
• molecular testing
• upfront Nucleic Acid Amplification Testing in outreach models
Community participation
A major feature of TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan is Jan Bhagidari, meaning people’s participation. One of its important community support pillars is the Ni-kshay Mitra Initiative, launched in September 2022 under this campaign to provide nutritional and psychosocial support to TB patients.
Ni-kshay Mitra under the campaign
The official 2026 guidance on Ni-kshay Mitra states that from September 2022 to January 2026:
• more than 7 lakh Ni-kshay Mitras were registered
• over 22 lakh TB patients received nutritional support
• more than 49 lakh nutritional food baskets were distributed
TB Mukt Bharat App
In March 2026, the government also launched the TB Mukt Bharat App, described as a unified digital platform connecting patients, Ni-kshay Mitras, volunteers, and health staff. This shows the campaign is moving toward integrated digital coordination.
Latest progress
According to PIB data released on 24 March 2026, under TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan since 7 December 2024:
• over 20 crore vulnerable people were screened for TB
• more than 28 lakh TB patients were diagnosed
• this included around 9 lakh asymptomatic cases that may otherwise have been missed
Local governance dimension
The campaign also links TB elimination with local-level public recognition. The government stated in March 2026 that more than 46,118 Gram Panchayats had been awarded TB-free certification for the year 2024.
Urban focus
The 2026 rollout is important because it added the TB Mukt Urban Ward Initiative, showing that TB elimination is no longer being framed only as a rural or remote-area issue, but also as an urban governance challenge.
Analytical understanding
TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan represents a shift from routine TB control to an intensified, technology-enabled, community-supported elimination strategy. Its deeper significance lies in three changes:
• from passive detection to active screening
• from clinic-centered care to outreach and community participation
• from only medical treatment to integrated nutritional, psychosocial, and digital support
This interpretation is supported by the official emphasis on high-risk village and ward focus, symptom-agnostic screening, Ni-kshay Mitra support, and the TB Mukt Bharat App.
Conclusion
TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan is India’s intensified public-health campaign to eliminate tuberculosis through active screening, advanced diagnostics, community participation, nutritional support, and digital integration. The latest 2026 phase shows that India is trying to move from conventional TB control toward a much more aggressive elimination model.
