J.P. Nadda Launches JOSH Teams to Accelerate Youth-Led TB Elimination Efforts

Jagat Prakash Nadda, yesterday launched JOSH (Joint Squad for Health) Teams under the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan at a national event held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, marking a significant step towards strengthening youth-led community participation in India’s efforts to eliminate tuberculosis. The initiative seeks to harness the energy, outreach and commitment of young people to take the message of TB prevention, early diagnosis, timely treatment and stigma reduction to communities across the country.

Addressing the gathering, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Shri J.P. Nadda, described the launch of JOSH Teams as a significant milestone in India’s collective fight against tuberculosis. He said that the country’s efforts towards a TB Mukt Bharat have evolved from a conventional health programme into a people’s movement, with Jan Bhagidari and community ownership emerging as the defining pillars of the national response. He emphasised that the goal of eliminating TB cannot be achieved by government interventions alone and requires the active participation of communities, citizens, elected representatives, frontline workers and, particularly, the youth of the country.

Highlighting the importance of youth-led action, Shri Nadda said that the energy, commitment and outreach of young people can give a new momentum to the TB elimination movement. He noted that while the Ministry has progressively involved elected representatives and community leadership in the campaign, the scale and complexity of the challenge demand a much wider network of committed volunteers working directly with communities. In this context, he expressed appreciation for the collaboration with the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports and the Ministry of Defence in bringing the JOSH initiative to the grassroots.

Moreover, Shri Nadda said that JOSH Teams represent an effort to bring together the Government, communities and citizens in a coordinated and sustained manner. He emphasised that the initiative is intended not merely to disseminate information, but to create meaningful conversations within communities, build trust, address apprehensions and ensure that people are encouraged to come forward for timely testing and treatment.

The Union Health Minister stressed that India’s TB elimination strategy must go beyond awareness and screening to encompass the entire continuum of care. “Awareness is important, screening is important, but our responsibility does not end there. We must ensure diagnosis, treatment and treatment completion,” he said. He underlined the need to strengthen active case finding so that individuals who may be living with TB without recognising their symptoms can be identified early and connected to appropriate care. Early detection, he noted, is equally important for preventing further transmission and protecting the health of families and communities.

Underscoring the importance of active case finding, he noted that there are people who may be living with TB without being aware of their condition and may consequently remain outside the formal healthcare system. Identifying such individuals at the earliest possible stage is critical not only to ensuring timely treatment but also to interrupting transmission within families and communities. He called upon the JOSH Teams to play an important role in identifying vulnerable populations, facilitating community-level outreach and encouraging people with symptoms or concerns to come forward for testing.