Sri Vijaya Puram, March 29: In a significant achievement under the TB Mukt Panchayat initiative of the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP), 38 Gram Panchayats and 18 Tribal Villages were declared as “TB Mukt” for the year 2025 in Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
Out of the total, 14 Gram Panchayats are from South Andaman district, 22 from North & Middle Andaman district, and 2 from Nicobar district. In addition, 18 Tribal Villages from Nicobar district have also achieved TB Mukt status.
These certifications were awarded on the occasion of World TB Day 2026 by the respective Deputy Commissioners of the districts, recognizing exemplary performance at the grassroots level in TB elimination efforts.
The declaration of TB Mukt status is based on attainment of key programmatic indicators under the TB Mukt Panchayat framework, which include:
•High presumptive TB examination rate (≥30 per 1,000 population annually)
•Low TB notification rate (≤1 per 1,000 population annually)
•High treatment success rate (more than 85%)
•Adequate drug susceptibility testing coverage (at least 60% of notified cases)
•100% coverage under Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana (at least one installment to all eligible TB patients)
•100% nutritional support coverage for TB patients under Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan
The State TB Unit has informed that this achievement reflects strong field-level implementation, early diagnosis, effective treatment adherence, and robust patient support systems. Sustained community participation and convergence with Panchayati Raj Institutions have been key drivers in achieving TB Mukt status.
It was further emphasized that continued efforts will focus on strengthening active case finding, ensuring universal access to diagnostics and treatment, and expanding TB Mukt certification to more Panchayats and villages across the Islands.