The fifth Government of India-WHO Joint Monitoring Mission (JMM) of the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP), Government of India, has endorsed the National Strategic Plan (NSP) for TB Control (2012-2017). The NSP has set the goal of universal access to early diagnosis and effective treatment.
The JMM has also lauded the government on its efforts in TB control. However, the JMM cautioned that successful implementation requires an urgent and emphatic expansion in the prioritization, development, financing and deployment of innovative activities to rapidly detect and correctly treat TB cases irrespective of care in public or private sectors.
Endorsing the NSP, the JMM has also concurred with the government view that if implemented properly, it can save 750,000 lives over the next five years and transform TB control in India. To achieve the ambitious goals set-out in the NSP, the JMM has recommended that the RNTCP prioritize engagement of the private sector, strengthen supervision systems, extend case-finding to the community level, and support innovation at all levels.