Union minister of health and family welfare JP Nadda, launched India vs TB, TB- Free India campaign featuring Amitabh Bachchan, TB survivor and Ambassador for TB-Free India.

The 5 part campaign talks about early identification of symptoms, importance of treatment completion,  MDR TB and social impact of TB on families and children. The campaign theme #IndiavsTB symbolizes India’s fight against TB and “TB Harega, Desh Jeetega” is the tagline of the campaign.

The campaign is is developed by International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Challenge TB. The campaign films featuring Amitabh Bachchan have been directed by famous bollywood director Shoojit Sircar, the print campaign has been shot by ace photographer Daboo Ratnani and DDB Mudra has created the campaign.

Earlier this year, Amitabh Bachchan also featured in a TV commercial and radio spot where he encouraged viewers and listeners to support the ministry’s grassroot, door-to-door initiative to actively find new TB cases.

The problems that the campaign address are that people take symptoms of TB lightly; people stop TB treatment mid-way once they feel better; are unaware that TB can recur and become drug-resistant; and that TB is not just an illness but also a social disease that impacts not only the patients but their children and families.
 
India bears over a quarter of the global burden of tuberculosis. New surveillance and survey data from India in the last few years have indicated that the TB epidemic is more than was previously thought.