Daltonganj: The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s flagship initiative JOSH (Joint Squad for Health) was launched in Palamu on Thursday to strengthen community participation against tuberculosis under the PM TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan.The launch coincided with the national rollout of the programme at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. Besides the health ministry, the initiative also involves the ministries of youth affairs and sports and defence. The programme aims to mobilise communities, volunteers and local institutions to raise awareness and support TB elimination efforts.Palamu is among eight TB-prone districts in Jharkhand selected for the first phase of JOSH, along with Simdega, Gumla, Lohardaga, Latehar, Chatra and Khunti. These districts form part of 55 districts across 11 states covered in the pilot phase.District TB officer and district reproductive and child health officer Dr SK Ravi said, “Palamu currently has 2,722 notified TB patients undergoing treatment, including 40 multidrug-resistant (MDR) cases.”While asserting that TB is curable, Dr Ravi said treatment adherence remains a challenge. He pointed to cases where patients discontinue medication midway, increasing the risk of relapse and drug-resistant TB. “Our treatment success rate is around 90%, but patients must complete the full course of medicines on time,” he said.Officials said Palamu had 34 TB Mukt panchayats in 2024-25 and 45 in 2025-26, with the district aiming to declare 70 panchayats TB-free in 2026-27.Health officials acknowledged that achieving the national goal of eliminating TB by 2030 remains challenging, particularly in vulnerable and remote regions where awareness, nutrition and treatment compliance continue to be key concerns.
